Director Shareholding

Barclays PLC
25 May 2004


                                                                     25 May 2004

         Notification of directors' interests: Companies Act 1985 s.329

1.       The independent trustee of the Barclays Group (ESAS) Employees' Benefit
         Trust (the 'ESAS Trust') notified the Company on 24 May 2004 that it 
         had between 19 May 2004 and 21 May 2004 exercised its discretion and 
         released 36,101 ordinary shares in Barclays PLC to participants in the 
         Executive Share Award Scheme ('ESAS'). The participants to whom the 
         shares were released are not directors of Barclays PLC.

Following these transactions, the trustees of all the Barclays Group employees'
benefit trusts hold a total of 107,740,880 ordinary shares in Barclays PLC. Sir
Peter Middleton, Chairman, and the executive directors of Barclays PLC are
amongst the potential beneficiaries under these trusts and are therefore
regarded for Companies Act purposes as being interested in the Barclays PLC
ordinary shares held in them.




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