Rule 8.3 - BHP BILLITON PLC

FORM 8.3

    DEALINGS BY PERSONS WITH INTERESTS IN SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE
              (Rule 8.3 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers)


1.   KEY INFORMATION

Name of person dealing        BARCLAYS PLC
(Note 1)
Company dealt in              BHP BILLITON PLC
Class of relevant security    USD0.50
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               12 March 2008

2.   INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE

(a)  Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of relevant
security dealt in (Note 3)

                            Long                     Short

                      Number       (%)         Number       (%)

(1) Relevant      105,844,415     4.80%      3,469,118     0.16%
securities
(2) Derivatives     3,366,596     0.15%      4,946,894     0.22%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and     1,003,800     0.05%        752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             110,214,811     4.99%       9,168,787    0.42%

(b)  Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
     than the class dealt in (Note 3)

Class of                    Long                     Short
relevant
security:

                  Number              (%)   Number              (%)

(1) Relevant
securities

(2) Derivatives
(other than
options)

(3) Options and
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total


  (c)  Rights to subscribe (Note 3)

Class of relevant security:   Details



3.   DEALINGS (Note 4)

  (a)  Purchases and sales

Purchase/sale Number of Securities  Price per unit
                                    (GBP)
Purchase      228                   Transfer
Purchase      326                   15.3700
Purchase      105,274               15.5822
Purchase      77,862                15.4757
Purchase      3,038                 15.6400
Purchase      26,341                15.6400
Purchase      4,362                 15.5678
Purchase      129                   Transfer
Purchase      32,610                15.6140
Purchase      32,954                15.5517
Purchase      2,499                 15.6400
Purchase      4,729                 15.5678
Purchase      50,845                15.5864
Purchase      724                   15.5678
Purchase      1,018                 15.6100
Purchase      27,413                15.4907
Purchase      2,156                 15.5678
Purchase      137,211               15.5545
Purchase      1,480                 15.5722
Purchase      625                   15.5892
Purchase      1,228                 15.5678
Purchase      8,505                 15.5306
Purchase      310                   15.5475
Purchase      3,674                 15.5657
Purchase      300                   Transfer
Purchase      133                   15.5683
Purchase      7,758                 15.5755
Purchase      148,909               15.5716
Purchase      8,768                 15.6400
Purchase      490                   15.6000
Purchase      800                   15.5826
Purchase      300                   15.5775
Purchase      50,000                15.3569
Purchase      5,700                 15.5511
Sale          192                   Transfer
Sale          3,200                 15.4281
Sale          350                   15.5412
Sale          128,000               15.4719
Sale          118,105               15.5723
Sale          6,136                 15.5810
Sale          15,896                15.6078
Sale          620                   15.5225
Sale          16,724                15.5439
Sale          1,000                 15.4574
Sale          43,031                15.5368
Sale          710                   15.5512
Sale          500                   15.5312
Sale          350                   15.5512
Sale          243                   15.6735
Sale          955                   15.4100
Sale          462                   Transfer
Sale          1,378                 15.5449
Sale          20,000                15.3700
Sale          500                   14.8900
Sale          57,071                15.4979
Sale          5,063                 15.5965
Sale          850                   Transfer
Sale          770                   15.6212
Sale          230                   Transfer
Sale          900                   15.5374
Sale          15,794                15.6377
Sale          225                   15.5512
Sale          129                   Transfer
Sale          200                   15.6712
Sale          5,794                 15.5516
Sale          1,683                 15.6093
Sale          1,615                 15.6370
Sale          61,416                15.5964
Sale          43,840                15.5249
Sale          141,244               15.5808
Sale          3,000                 15.4417
Sale          300                   15.6612
Sale          7,092                 15.6400
Sale          293                   15.4200
Sale          16,700                14.9800
Sale          11,496                15.6400
Sale          139,992               15.4571
Sale          432                   Transfer
Sale          4,027                 15.6172

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         50000         15.3569
CFD            Short         77862         15.4756
CFD            Short         27413         15.4907
CFD            Short         8505          15.5306
CFD            Short         5700          15.551
CFD            Short         32954         15.5517
CFD            Short         137211        15.5545
CFD            Short         3674          15.5656
CFD            Short         148909        15.5715
CFD            Short         1480          15.5722
CFD            Short         7758          15.5755
CFD            Short         105274        15.5821
CFD            Short         800           15.5826
CFD            Short         50845         15.5864
CFD            Short         32610         15.614
CFD            Long          3200          15.4281
CFD            Long          3000          15.4416
CFD            Long          139992        15.4571
CFD            Long          1000          15.4574
CFD            Long          57071         15.4978
CFD            Long          43840         15.5248
CFD            Long          43031         15.5368
CFD            Long          900           15.5374
CFD            Long          23320         15.5392
CFD            Long          16724         15.5439
CFD            Long          1378          15.5448
CFD            Long          5794          15.5515
CFD            Long          94785         15.5804
CFD            Long          141244        15.5807
CFD            Long          6136          15.5809
CFD            Long          61416         15.5963
CFD            Long          5063          15.5964
CFD            Long          15896         15.6077
CFD            Long          1615          15.637
CFD            Long          15794         15.6376

(i)  Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Product name,   Writing,          Number of         Exercise  Type, e.g.      Expiry      Option money
e.g. call       selling,          securities to     price     American,       date        paid/received
option          purchasing,       which the option            European etc.               per unit (GBP)
                varying etc.      relates (GBP)


(ii) Exercising

Product name, e.g.  Number of           Exercise price per
call option         securities          unit (Note 5)




(d)  Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)


Nature of transaction Details           Price per unit
(Note 8)                                (if applicable)
                                        (Note 5)




4.   OTHER INFORMATION
Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives


Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the
person disclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of
any relevant securities under any option referred to on this form or
relating to the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any
relevant securities to which any derivative referred to on this form is
referenced.  If none, this should be stated.


None

Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9)                 YES


Date of disclosure                         13 March 2008
Contact name                               Geoff Smith
Telephone number                           020 7116 2913
If a connected EFM, name of
offeree/offeror with which connected
If a connected EFM, state nature of
connection (Note 10)


Notes

The Notes on Form 8.3 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk

SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8

DETAILS OF OPEN POSITIONS
(This form should be attached to Form 8.1, Form 8.1(b)(ii) or Form 8.3, as appropriate)

OPEN POSITIONS (Note 1)
Product name,     Written or  Number of securities   Exercise price   Type, e.g.     Expiry date
e.g. call option  purchased   to which the option    (Note 2)         American,
                              or derivative relates                   European etc.
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   350                    1,450.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   500                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   500                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   700                    1,400.0000       EURO           20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   150                    1,500.0000       EURO           20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000          AMER           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   500,000                9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500,000               9.5000           EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -250,000               16.0000          AMER           19/09/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,775                 1,600.0000       EURO           20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   500                    1,650.0000       EURO           20/03/2008

Notes
1. Where there are open option positions or open derivative positions (except for CFDs), full details should be given.
Full details of any  existing agreements to purchase or to sell  should also be given on this form.

2. For all prices and other monetary amounts, the currency must be stated.

For details of the Code's dealing disclosure requirements, see Rule 8 and its Notes which can be viewed on the Takeover
Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk