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               21 December 2007

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     112,318,107      5.03%      6,526,982    0.29%
securities
(2) Derivatives    5,056,290      0.23%      1,306,826    0.06%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,150      0.04%        753,775    0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            118,376,547      5.30%      8,587,583    0.38%


(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           3,322                   15.1800
Purchase           14,187                  15.4000
Purchase           656,000                 16.0000
Purchase           800                     15.3125
Purchase           500,000                 14.0000
Purchase           4,776                   15.4000
Purchase           33,184                  15.2525
Purchase           500,000                 13.0000
Purchase           38,035                  15.0735
Purchase           1,480,763               15.2695
Purchase           132,074                 15.2500
Purchase           1,957,294               15.2710
Purchase           295,631                 15.3596
Purchase           6,104                   15.4000
Purchase           482,021                 15.2500
Purchase           87,647                  15.2963
Purchase           5,803                   15.3671
Purchase           31,860                  15.4000
Purchase           8,800                   15.3072
Purchase           3,322                   15.1800
Purchase           400,262                 15.2476
Purchase           119                     15.2725
Purchase           119                     15.2725
Purchase           33,580                  15.3959
Purchase           600,000                 15.4000
Purchase           32,006                  15.2500
Purchase           8,697                   15.2515
Purchase           468,000                 16.5000
Purchase           2,000                   15.4100
Purchase           72,304                  15.3739
Purchase           33,184                  Transfer
Purchase           205,000                 15.2600
Purchase           171,533                 15.3907
Purchase           248,848                 15.2876
Purchase           47,790                  Transfer
Purchase           63                      15.0254
Purchase           1,436,012               15.1909
Purchase           65,182                  15.2005
Purchase           7,425                   15.4237
Purchase           1,940,825               15.2717
Purchase           800                     15.3125
Purchase           16,469                  15.1893
Purchase           6,425                   15.2976
Purchase           16,469                  15.1864
Purchase           72                      14.8477
Purchase           171,000                 15.2633
Purchase           22,209                  15.2721
Purchase           10,852                  15.3648
Purchase           1,979                   15.4000
Sale               132,074                 15.2500
Sale               8,348                   15.4000
Sale               3,355                   15.2900
Sale               8,800                   15.3043
Sale               119                     15.2725
Sale               285,000                 15.4000
Sale               3,322                   15.1800
Sale               4,776                   15.3971
Sale               50,196                  15.4000
Sale               999                     15.4000
Sale               1,495                   15.4000
Sale               15,622                  15.4000
Sale               1,106                   15.4000
Sale               1,480,763               15.2667
Sale               65,182                  15.2005
Sale               87,647                  15.2934
Sale               71                      14.9117
Sale               72,304                  15.3726
Sale               1,718                   15.2617
Sale               691                     15.4000
Sale               72                      15.3217
Sale               7,425                   15.4221
Sale               357,110                 15.4000
Sale               248,848                 15.2876
Sale               1,673                   15.4000
Sale               6,425                   15.2976
Sale               295,631                 15.3596
Sale               16,469                  15.1864
Sale               140                     15.2112
Sale               16,469                  15.1864
Sale               38,035                  15.0735
Sale               631                     15.2600
Sale               231                     15.2100
Sale               350,000                 15.5000
Sale               5,771                   15.4000
Sale               5,803                   15.3642
Sale               59,898                  15.4000
Sale               3,322                   15.1771
Sale               22,209                  15.2705
Sale               5,020                   15.4000
Sale               16,969                  15.4000
Sale               189                     15.4317
Sale               2,530                   15.4000
Sale               128,647                 15.4000
Sale               622,591                 15.3989
Sale               1,163                   15.4000
Sale               1,000                   15.2612
Sale               420                     15.4212
Sale               298,953                 15.3576
Sale               33,184                  15.2498
Sale               469                     15.4000
Sale               12,579                  15.4000
Sale               171,000                 15.2633
Sale               1,179                   15.2100
Sale               32,006                  15.2500
Sale               5,125                   15.4000
Sale               2,544                   15.4000
Sale               2,000                   15.4077
Sale               15,711                  15.4000
Sale               4,798                   15.4000
Sale               1,436,012               15.1909
Sale               600,000                 15.4000
Sale               1,310                   15.4000
Sale               243                     15.4117
Sale               10,852                  15.3619
Sale               1,940,825               15.2717
Sale               71                      15.2817
Sale               171,533                 15.3892
Sale               5,357                   15.4000
Sale               331                     15.4000
Sale               851                     15.2917
Sale               8,697                   15.2515
Sale               800                     15.3125
Sale               1,979                   15.4000
Sale               33,580                  15.3945
Sale               4,958                   15.4000
Sale               25,252                  15.4000
Sale               14,187                  15.4000


(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product Name  Long/Short  Number Of Securities  Price Per Unit
CFD           Short       38035                 15.0735
CFD           Short       16469                 15.1893
CFD           Short       9790                  15.2532
CFD           Short       1480763               15.2694
CFD           Short       119                   15.2725
CFD           Short       248848                15.2876
CFD           Short       87647                 15.2963
CFD           Short       800                   15.3125
CFD           Short       5803                  15.367
CFD           Short       5576                  15.3802
CFD           Short       56938                 15.394
CFD           Short       7425                  15.4236
CFD           Long        3322                  15.1771
CFD           Long        33184                 15.2497
CFD           Long        8697                  15.2514
CFD           Long        22209                 15.2705
CFD           Long        8800                  15.3042
CFD           Long        11195                 15.3183
CFD           Long        10852                 15.3618
CFD           Long        171533                15.3891
CFD           Long        4776                  15.397
CFD           Long        2000                  15.4076
CFD           Long        4825                  15.4269
CFD           Long        17560                 15.4341


(c)  Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(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
None

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.




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


Date of disclosure                         24 December 2007
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   500,000                9.5000          EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000         AMER         20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   250,000                14.0000         AMER         20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   700                    1,400.0000      EURO         20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   500                    1,500.0000      EURO         15/02/2008
Option            Purchased   450                    1,400.0000      EURO         20/03/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,600.0000      EURO         15/02/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,700.0000      EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000        EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000        EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,000                 1,500.0000      EURO         19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -1,775                 1,600.0000      EURO         20/06/2008
Option            Purchased   -250,000               16.0000         AMER         19/09/2008
Option            Purchased   -500,000               9.5000          EURO         19/12/2008



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