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               25 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       99,727,294     4.52%      4,684,261     0.21%
securities
(2) Derivatives     3,571,046     0.16%      3,534,118     0.16%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450      0.05%        752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             104,300,790     4.73%      8,971,154     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         19,670                  14.1159
Purchase         751                     14.1400
Purchase         615                     14.2400
Purchase         2,442                   14.3000
Purchase         878                     14.0318
Purchase         1,083                   14.3000
Purchase         1,375                   14.3000
Purchase         5,591                   14.2352
Purchase         2,963                   14.1400
Purchase         12,298                  14.3000
Purchase         400                     14.2988
Purchase         45,000                  14.3000
Purchase         175                     14.2388
Purchase         3,707                   14.3000
Purchase         888                     14.3000
Purchase         1,310                   14.1415
Purchase         36,256                  14.2052
Purchase         43,500                  14.3000
Purchase         22,493                  14.2100
Purchase         34,198                  14.3000
Purchase         100,791                 13.6000
Purchase         3,707                   14.3000
Purchase         20,000                  14.3027
Purchase         750                     14.3388
Purchase         487                     14.0772
Purchase         164,300                 14.3000
Purchase         301,903                 14.1350
Purchase         55,231                  14.1838
Sale             2,777                   14.3000
Sale             4,231                   14.3000
Sale             774,454                 14.1694
Sale             577                     14.2325
Sale             397                     14.1217
Sale             85                      14.1552
Sale             500                     14.1616
Sale             26,100                  14.2800
Sale             215                     14.2517
Sale             500                     14.2512
Sale             1,481                   14.3000
Sale             2,300                   14.2268
Sale             301,903                 14.1350
Sale             13,140                  14.1246
Sale             13,322                  14.1745
Sale             2,442                   14.3000
Sale             180                     14.2425
Sale             647                     14.0877
Sale             301,903                 14.1350
Sale             10,113                  14.3000
Sale             500                     14.3400
Sale             1,746                   14.3000
Sale             944                     14.3000
Sale             264,471                 14.3000
Sale             232,279                 14.3000
Sale             22,831                  14.2116
Sale             13,535                  14.3000
Sale             2,977                   14.3000
Sale             2,841                   14.3000
Sale             10,420                  14.1667
Sale             60,043                  14.3000
Sale             8,400                   14.2767
Sale             2,633                   14.3000
Sale             34,903                  14.1745
Sale             44,000                  14.3000
Sale             29,081                  14.3000
Sale             29,908                  14.3000
Sale             6,023                   14.3000
Sale             330                     14.1425
Sale             16,190                  14.2096
Sale             3,707                   14.3000
Sale             12,937                  14.3000
Sale             100                     14.2825
Sale             91,841                  14.3000
Sale             3,090                   14.3000
Sale             266,561                 14.1996
Sale             1,381                   14.3000
Sale             615                     14.2400
Sale             650                     14.1916
Sale             201                     14.1417
Sale             300                     14.1425
Sale             16,572                  14.3000
Sale             67                      Transfer
Sale             12,298                  14.3000
Sale             878                     14.0582
Sale             797,115                 14.1750
Sale             9,388                   14.3000
Sale             17,423                  14.3000
Sale             1,753                   14.2973
Sale             1,754                   14.1435
Sale             350                     14.1425
Sale             615                     14.2400
Sale             2,582                   14.3000
Sale             68,363                  14.3000
Sale             30,600                  14.1153
Sale             28,406                  14.3000

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         100791        13.6
CFD            Short         878           14.0318
CFD            Short         487           14.0772
CFD            Short         19670         14.1158
CFD            Short         1310          14.1414
CFD            Short         55231         14.1838
CFD            Short         36256         14.2051
CFD            Short         5591          14.2352
CFD            Short         20000         14.3027
CFD            Long          878           14.0581
CFD            Long          647           14.0876
CFD            Long          30600         14.1153
CFD            Long          13140         14.1246
CFD            Long          10420         14.1667
CFD            Long          774454        14.1694
CFD            Long          48225         14.1744
CFD            Long          797115        14.175
CFD            Long          266561        14.1996
CFD            Long          16190         14.2096
CFD            Long          22831         14.2116
CFD            Long          2300          14.2268
CFD            Long          1753          14.2972

(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                         26 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