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               20 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      102,450,526     4.64%      3,861,995     0.17%
securities
(2) Derivatives     2,712,180     0.12%      4,420,152     0.20%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450      0.05%        752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             106,165,156     4.81%      9,034,922     0.41%

(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         17,051                  13.9058
Purchase         544,421                 13.8328
Purchase         6,300                   13.6790
Purchase         301,903                 14.4100
Purchase         130                     13.9388
Purchase         103                     13.6100
Purchase         27,771                  13.8358
Purchase         700,000                 14.0000
Purchase         1,648                   13.8985
Purchase         63,800                  13.6975
Purchase         530,000                 13.6213
Purchase         17,208                  13.7699
Purchase         275                     13.9475
Purchase         25                      Transfer
Purchase         678                     13.7626
Purchase         230                     13.8888
Purchase         169,576                 13.7257
Purchase         34,122                  13.7735
Purchase         83,008                  13.6100
Purchase         1,290                   13.8800
Purchase         5,754                   13.8317
Purchase         1,050                   13.6100
Purchase         1,448                   13.6126
Purchase         130,497                 13.8837
Purchase         405,985                 13.8215
Purchase         113,183                 13.8475
Purchase         48,869                  13.9208
Purchase         1,000                   13.7588
Purchase         293,470                 14.0400
Purchase         2,106                   15.1425
Purchase         2,505                   13.8234
Purchase         3,510                   13.6100
Purchase         359                     13.6100
Purchase         10,000                  13.7000
Purchase         48,486                  15.2500
Purchase         1,207                   13.6100
Purchase         60,600                  13.7223
Purchase         1,000                   13.8675
Purchase         34,939                  13.6662
Purchase         20,000                  15.1500
Purchase         59,000                  14.0101
Sale             3,547                   13.6100
Sale             367                     13.6100
Sale             8,266                   13.6100
Sale             133                     13.8717
Sale             24,996                  13.7649
Sale             3,706                   13.8595
Sale             3,330                   13.7600
Sale             150                     13.7712
Sale             275                     13.6912
Sale             44                      13.8217
Sale             85,782                  13.6100
Sale             301,903                 14.4100
Sale             59,000                  14.0101
Sale             1,000                   13.8730
Sale             700,000                 14.0000
Sale             13,965                  13.9749
Sale             2,106                   15.1425
Sale             201                     Transfer
Sale             905,474                 14.0000
Sale             1,000                   13.9312
Sale             89,215                  13.7480
Sale             1,025                   13.7225
Sale             495,055                 13.8861
Sale             59,000                  14.0101
Sale             600                     13.8825
Sale             10,212                  13.8978
Sale             10,224                  13.9068
Sale             21,330                  13.7841
Sale             4,133                   13.6100
Sale             700,000                 14.0000
Sale             83,008                  13.6100
Sale             800                     13.6712
Sale             81,016                  14.0000
Sale             22,419                  13.8700
Sale             244                     14.0012
Sale             37,000                  14.0179
Sale             3,441                   13.8117
Sale             678                     13.9773
Sale             4,568                   13.6420
Sale             238,283                 14.0000
Sale             20,793                  13.8752
Sale             30                      Transfer
Sale             229                     Transfer
Sale             118,278                 13.7689
Sale             31                      13.7700

NB: The below transactions which were previously disclosed have been cancelled
Deal Date      Purchase/Sale      Number of Securities     Price per unit (GBP)
19/03/2008     Purchase           20,121                   15.1932

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         1448          13.6125
CFD            Short         6300          13.679
CFD            Short         127824        13.6865
CFD            Short         63800         13.6974
CFD            Short         60600         13.7223
CFD            Short         678           13.7626
CFD            Short         17208         13.7698
CFD            Short         34122         13.7734
CFD            Short         405985        13.8215
CFD            Short         2505          13.8234
CFD            Short         5754          13.8316
CFD            Short         544421        13.8327
CFD            Short         27771         13.8357
CFD            Short         41752         13.8455
CFD            Short         113183        13.8475
CFD            Short         130497        13.8837
CFD            Short         1648          13.8985
CFD            Short         17051         13.9057
CFD            Short         48869         13.9208
CFD            Long          1520          13.5948
CFD            Long          4568          13.642
CFD            Long          87695         13.7506
CFD            Long          3330          13.7599
CFD            Long          24996         13.7648
CFD            Long          118278        13.7688
CFD            Long          21330         13.7841
CFD            Long          3441          13.8117
CFD            Long          1000          13.873
CFD            Long          495055        13.8861
CFD            Long          13965         13.9748
CFD            Long          678           13.9773
CFD            Long          59000         14.01
CFD            Long          37000         14.0178

(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                         25 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   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   500                    1,900.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   500                    1,900.0000       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   250                    1,700.0000       EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         EURO           19/12/2008
Option            Purchased   -500                   950.0000         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

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