Transaction in Own Shares

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 a further 500,000 ordinary
shares at a price of 147.75p per share. 10,215,000 ordinary shares have been
purchased to date under the above authority and the issued share capital
following cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 192,605,869 ordinary
shares.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares 111,194,250 shares have been repurchased.

20 September 2005