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               03 January 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     113,228,234      5.13%       5,407,915   0.25%
securities
(2) Derivatives    5,006,867      0.23%       1,258,876   0.06%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,150      0.05%         753,775   0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            119,237,251      5.40%       7,420,566   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           190,381                 15.5400
Purchase           819,986                 15.5690
Purchase           56,400                  15.5805
Purchase           325                     15.4088
Purchase           780                     15.4154
Purchase           83,642                  15.4498
Purchase           112,399                 15.5523
Purchase           26,032                  15.4440
Purchase           201,118                 15.5289
Purchase           14,558                  15.3505
Purchase           1,000                   15.3785
Purchase           1,000                   15.7700
Purchase           1,300                   15.4154
Purchase           83,642                  15.4491
Purchase           1,000                   15.3785
Purchase           164,313                 15.7692
Purchase           1,950                   15.4154
Purchase           33,900                  15.4418
Purchase           14,703                  15.7271
Purchase           18,000                  15.4600
Purchase           1,071                   15.9700
Purchase           63,873                  15.5313
Purchase           1,550,000               Transfer
Purchase           190,381                 15.5325
Purchase           15,757                  15.9001
Purchase           9,519                   15.9700
Purchase           15,000                  15.9300
Purchase           293,914                 15.5244
Purchase           490                     15.4154
Purchase           9,636                   15.4299
Purchase           78,129                  15.3600
Purchase           9,143                   15.3893
Purchase           1,033,962               15.5287
Purchase           16,000                  15.5140
Purchase           2,314                   15.9700
Purchase           29,171                  15.6362
Purchase           34,701                  15.5342
Purchase           293,914                 15.5244
Purchase           18,000                  15.4600
Purchase           13,843                  15.7474
Purchase           300                     15.4029
Purchase           25,173                  15.4456
Purchase           500                     15.8777
Purchase           438,302                 15.4485
Purchase           410,142                 15.4930
Purchase           3                       15.3600
Sale               112,399                 15.5508
Sale               438,302                 15.4485
Sale               25,173                  15.4426
Sale               4,254                   15.3845
Sale               553,763                 15.4693
Sale               410,142                 15.4902
Sale               3,570                   15.5482
Sale               3                       15.3600
Sale               1,000                   15.7676
Sale               15,000                  15.9300
Sale               819,986                 15.5690
Sale               1,071                   15.9670
Sale               5,217                   15.3845
Sale               412                     15.5237
Sale               164,313                 15.7678
Sale               293,914                 15.5244
Sale               33,900                  15.4418
Sale               16,000                  15.5111
Sale               553                     15.8083
Sale               40                      15.3752
Sale               302                     15.8083
Sale               34,701                  15.5328
Sale               14,558                  15.3505
Sale               1,000                   15.3785
Sale               1,033,962               15.5287
Sale               29,171                  15.6362
Sale               2,569                   15.6100
Sale               5,971                   15.3845
Sale               125,863                 15.3845
Sale               122,579                 15.8083
Sale               83,642                  15.4491
Sale               56,400                  15.5790
Sale               13,843                  15.7458
Sale               300                     15.4000
Sale               90                      Transfer
Sale               9,143                   15.3865
Sale               83,642                  15.4498
Sale               52,719                  15.3845
Sale               837,986                 15.5666
Sale               201,118                 15.5289
Sale               7,204                   15.3845
Sale               18,000                  15.4571
Sale               18,000                  15.4600
Sale               74                      15.5717
Sale               9,636                   15.4284
Sale               26,032                  15.4410
Sale               5,573                   15.3845
Sale               15,757                  15.8985
Sale               2,372                   15.3845
Sale               2,314                   15.9670
Sale               90                      Transfer
Sale               647                     15.8083
Sale               76                      15.4017
Sale               9,043                   15.3845
Sale               1,082                   15.8083
Sale               14,703                  15.7271
Sale               2,275                   15.3845

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product Name  Long/Short  Number Of Securities  Price Per Unit
CFD           Short       1000                  15.3785
CFD           Short       9143                  15.3892
CFD           Short       300                   15.4029
CFD           Short       9636                  15.4298
CFD           Short       25173                 15.4455
CFD           Short       201118                15.5289
CFD           Short       34701                 15.5342
CFD           Short       31753                 15.5396
CFD           Short       13843                 15.7474
CFD           Long        14558                 15.3504
CFD           Long        26032                 15.441
CFD           Long        18000                 15.457
CFD           Long        410142                15.4902
CFD           Long        16000                 15.511
CFD           Long        112399                15.5507
CFD           Long        57946                 15.5756
CFD           Long        56400                 15.5789
CFD           Long        1000                  15.7676
CFD           Long        106367                15.8725
CFD           Long        15757                 15.8985
CFD           Long        3385                  15.9669

(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                         04 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