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               31 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     112,943,697      5.06%       5,761,864   0.26%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,532,237      0.20%       1,104,129   0.05%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,150      0.04%         753,775   0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            118,478,084      5.31%       7,619,768   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           14,581                  15.6007
Purchase           33,275                  15.3547
Purchase           972                     15.6000
Purchase           13,592                  15.4600
Purchase           97,414                  15.3939
Purchase           23,364                  15.3968
Purchase           3,972                   15.4003
Purchase           101,838                 15.3850
Purchase           413,404                 15.3724
Purchase           68,444                  15.4668
Purchase           279,005                 15.3605
Purchase           16,457                  15.4600
Purchase           30,145                  15.4600
Purchase           9,665                   15.3410
Purchase           101,838                 15.3850
Purchase           1,647                   15.4600
Purchase           44,317                  15.3498
Purchase           68,444                  15.4668
Purchase           38,188                  15.4600
Purchase           93                      Transfer
Purchase           1,522                   15.4600
Purchase           1,217                   15.4537
Purchase           8,432                   15.4260
Purchase           1,100                   Transfer
Purchase           1,402                   15.3100
Purchase           381,412                 15.3857
Sale               3,972                   15.3990
Sale               481,848                 15.3858
Sale               93                      Transfer
Sale               1,402                   15.3100
Sale               68,444                  15.4668
Sale               68,444                  15.4639
Sale               23,364                  15.3952
Sale               5,104                   15.4600
Sale               97,414                  15.3909
Sale               22,966                  15.4600
Sale               14,581                  15.5979
Sale               63,794                  15.4600
Sale               8,432                   15.4245
Sale               1,464                   15.4600
Sale               413,404                 15.3724
Sale               1,217                   15.4537
Sale               381,412                 15.3857
Sale               2,151                   15.4600
Sale               44,317                  15.3483
Sale               1,402                   15.3100
Sale               279,005                 15.3577
Sale               9,665                   15.3410
Sale               101,838                 15.3850
Sale               33,275                  15.3533

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product Name  Long/Short  Number Of Securities  Price Per Unit
CFD           Short       9665                  15.341
CFD           Short       44317                 15.3498
CFD           Short       28999                 15.3546
CFD           Short       4276                  15.355
CFD           Short       14581                 15.6007
CFD           Long        279005                15.3577
CFD           Long        97414                 15.3909
CFD           Long        3568                  15.3933
CFD           Long        23364                 15.3952
CFD           Long        8432                  15.4245
CFD           Long        404                   15.4486
CFD           Long        1217                  15.4537
CFD           Long        68444                 15.4638

(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                         01 January 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   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