Holding(s) in Company

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 30 March 2005 shareholders
granted the company authority to purchase up to 30,402,848 ordinary shares.

The Company announces that it has today repurchased 1,750,000 ordinary shares
at a price of 129.5p per share. 3,250,000 ordinary shares have been purchased
to date under the above authority and the issued share capital following
cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 199,570,869 ordinary shares.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares 104,229,250 shares have been repurchased.

26 April 2005