The amount of non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market, other than: (a) those that the entity intends to sell immediately or in the near term, which shall be classified as held for trading, and those that the entity, upon initial recognition, designates as at fair value through profit or loss; (b) those that the entity, upon initial recognition, designates as available for sale; or (c) those for which the holder may not recover substantially all of its initial investment, other than because of credit deterioration, which shall be classified as available for sale. An interest acquired in a pool of assets that are not loans or receivables (for example, an interest in a mutual fund or a similar fund) is not a loan or receivable. [Refer: Derivative financial assets]

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Investments in Joint Ventures and Associates - Additional Information (Detail) - GBP (£) £ in Millions			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 05, 2017	Jul. 01, 2013	Apr. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Penguin Random House [member]
Investments in associates and joint ventures [line items]
Proportion of sales of voting power held in associate	22.00%
Proportion of voting power held in associate	25.00%
Loans to associates				£ 46	£ 33
Service fees from services to associates				3	4
Current liability payable				3	0
Penguin Random House [member] \| Major ordinary share transactions [member]
Investments in associates and joint ventures [line items]
Current assets receivables				£ 19	£ 21
Recapitalisation dividend			£ 49
Random House [member]
Investments in associates and joint ventures [line items]
Proportion of voting power held in associate		53.00%
Penguin [member]
Investments in associates and joint ventures [line items]
Proportion of voting power held in associate		47.00%