Transaction in Own Shares

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 28 March 2006 shareholders
granted the company authority to purchase up to 26,922,919 ordinary shares.

The Company announces that it has today repurchased a further 1,800,000
ordinary shares at a price of 186.75 pence per share. 23,600,000 ordinary
shares have been purchased to date under the above authority and the issued
share capital following cancellation of the shares repurchased will be
156,005,869 ordinary shares.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares 147,794,250 shares have been repurchased.

28 March 2007