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               27 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     112,744,894      5.05%      5,890,679    0.26%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,588,052      0.21%      1,039,869    0.05%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,150      0.04%        753,775    0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            118,335,096      5.30%      7,684,323    0.34%


(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           114,000                 15.7200
Purchase           700                     15.8074
Purchase           732,219                 15.7582
Purchase           8,890                   15.8511
Purchase           1,256                   15.6100
Purchase           348,853                 15.7222
Purchase           7,300                   15.7211
Purchase           732,219                 15.7582
Purchase           26,100                  15.7889
Purchase           100,023                 15.8632
Purchase           21,000                  15.8557
Purchase           651                     15.7863
Purchase           2,800                   15.6844
Purchase           690,509                 15.7636
Purchase           2,199                   15.6496
Purchase           18,242                  15.7571
Purchase           700                     15.8074
Purchase           406                     15.8100
Purchase           6,116                   15.6839
Purchase           478,962                 15.7656
Purchase           116,801                 15.7819
Purchase           521                     15.7800
Purchase           125,163                 15.7107
Purchase           8,843                   15.6100
Purchase           8,567                   15.8800
Purchase           139,270                 15.7521
Purchase           900                     15.6900
Purchase           535                     15.6900
Purchase           529                     15.6500
Purchase           85,273                  15.6377
Purchase           1,000                   15.7824
Purchase           4,701                   15.6130
Purchase           530                     15.7800
Purchase           21,000                  15.8557
Sale               348,853                 15.7222
Sale               1,256                   15.6100
Sale               732,219                 15.7582
Sale               21,000                  15.8527
Sale               521                     15.7800
Sale               8,567                   15.8800
Sale               100,023                 15.8604
Sale               651                     15.7847
Sale               1,000                   15.7800
Sale               478,962                 15.7656
Sale               6,116                   15.6824
Sale               8,890                   15.8481
Sale               535                     15.6900
Sale               2,199                   15.6466
Sale               139,270                 15.7521
Sale               116,801                 15.7803
Sale               690,509                 15.7607
Sale               499,962                 15.7694
Sale               2,800                   15.6814
Sale               18,242                  15.7557
Sale               4,701                   15.6100
Sale               8,567                   15.8800
Sale               7,300                   15.7181
Sale               85,273                  15.6363
Sale               700                     15.8074
Sale               530                     15.7800
Sale               8,843                   15.6100
Sale               529                     15.6500
Sale               900                     15.6900
Sale               400                     15.6612
Sale               26,100                  15.7873
Sale               114,000                 15.7200
Sale               21,000                  15.8557
Sale               406                     15.8084

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product Name  Long/Short  Number Of Securities  Price Per Unit
CFD           Short       4701                  15.6129
CFD           Short       6116                  15.6839
CFD           Short       2800                  15.6844
CFD           Short       900                   15.69
CFD           Short       3600                  15.7126
CFD           Short       7300                  15.721
CFD           Short       690509                15.7635
CFD           Short       14642                 15.768
CFD           Short       1000                  15.7823
CFD           Short       651                   15.7862
CFD           Short       700                   15.8074
CFD           Long        82298                 15.6299
CFD           Long        2199                  15.6465
CFD           Long        139270                15.752
CFD           Long        116801                15.7802
CFD           Long        26100                 15.7872
CFD           Long        406                   15.8084
CFD           Long        2975                  15.8101
CFD           Long        8890                  15.848
CFD           Long        21000                  15.8527
CFD           Long        100023                 15.8603

(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                         28 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                    1,700.0000      EURO          19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,600.0000      EURO          15/02/2008
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