Transaction in Own Shares

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 29 March 2007 shareholders
granted the company authority to purchase up to 23,385,279 ordinary shares.

The Company announces that it has today repurchased a further 390,000 ordinary
shares at a price of 133.125 pence per share. 17,753,997 ordinary shares have
been purchased to date under the above authority and the issued share capital
following cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 138,251,872 ordinary
shares.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares 165,548,247 shares have been repurchased.

7 March 2008