Statement re Extension of End Date for Acquisition

8 August 2007

                                FIRSTGROUP PLC                                 

              Proposed Acquisition of Laidlaw International, Inc.              

                     Extension of End Date for Acquisition                     

On 9 February 2007 FirstGroup announced the proposed acquisition of Laidlaw
International, Inc.

Regulatory review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act ("HSR
Act") is ongoing. On 11 July 2007, FirstGroup announced that it and Laidlaw had
agreed with the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice
("Antitrust Division") to provide the Antitrust Division with additional time
in which to complete their review of the Acquisition. Specifically, the parties
agreed to give the Antitrust Division 30 days notice of their intention to
close the Acquisition on a specific date and that they will not provide that
notice earlier than 15 August 2007. Therefore, unless the Antitrust Division
agrees to allow the parties to complete the Acquisition earlier, the closing
cannot take place before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on 14 September 2007. The
parties are continuing their discussions with the Antitrust Division.

As previously indicated in the announcement on 11 July, either FirstGroup or
Laidlaw can terminate the acquisition if it has not completed by 8 August 2007,
but under the Acquisition Agreement, either party may extend that date for up
to three months if, at that date, completion is prevented only by the
requirement to obtain the necessary competition clearances. FirstGroup and
Laidlaw have therefore today exercised their rights to extend that date to 8
November 2007.

Terms used in this Announcement shall have the same meanings as set out in the
Circular dated 26 March 2007.

Contacts:

Rachael Borthwick

Group Corporate Communications Director 020 7291 0508

FirstGroup plc

Malcolm Moir

JPMorgan Cazenove 020 7588 2828