Apparatus comprises source circuitry to provide data items; buffer circuitry having a set of buffer entries to hold one or more data items, provided by the source circuitry, for delivery to one or more destinations within a respective delivery latency, in which a buffer entry holding an initial data item becomes available to hold another data item in response to delivery of the initial data item to its respective destination; and control circuitry to control acceptance of data items from the source circuitry for holding by the buffer circuitry, the control circuitry being configured to control the buffer circuitry to accept a given data item when: (i) a buffer entry is available to hold the given data item and (ii) the delivery latency of data items including the given data item held by the buffer circuitry is such that at least a threshold number of buffer entries may be made available within no more than a threshold availability period.