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 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       98,702,304     4.47%      5,564,055     0.25%
securities
(2) Derivatives     4,472,133     0.20%      3,407,942     0.15%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450      0.05%        752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             104,176,887     4.72%       9,724,772    0.44%

(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         3,912                   14.6320
Purchase         2,032                   14.7754
Purchase         97                      Transfer
Purchase         20,000                  14.6328
Purchase         27,320                  14.6815
Purchase         257,100                 14.6514
Purchase         8,053                   14.8146
Purchase         5,570                   14.7173
Purchase         130                     14.7983
Purchase         278                     Transfer
Purchase         53,000                  14.6562
Purchase         1,000                   14.5613
Purchase         27,750                  14.7300
Purchase         2,200                   14.6009
Purchase         50,065                  14.6189
Purchase         48,522                  14.7300
Purchase         36,953                  14.5000
Purchase         230                     14.7988
Purchase         586                     14.7300
Purchase         696                     14.5736
Purchase         1,000                   14.8088
Purchase         800                     14.5790
Purchase         1,075                   14.7488
Purchase         500                     14.7688
Sale             26,810                  14.7225
Sale             895                     14.8300
Sale             747                     14.8335
Sale             1,403                   14.7564
Sale             9,275                   14.7270
Sale             712                     14.7400
Sale             108                     14.6117
Sale             1,119                   14.8200
Sale             586,386                 14.7600
Sale             78                      14.6420
Sale             36,953                  14.5000
Sale             5,020                   14.7000
Sale             23,795                  14.7737
Sale             593,245                 14.7038
Sale             4,000                   14.5300
Sale             54,561                  14.7271
Sale             895                     14.8300
Sale             500                     14.6212
Sale             1,803                   14.8200
Sale             2,589                   14.7300
Sale             4,763                   14.7583
Sale             900                     14.6112
Sale             671                     14.8000
Sale             8,053                   14.8146
Sale             881                     14.8200
Sale             17,400                  14.5496
Sale             1,789                   14.8200
Sale             97                      Transfer
Sale             822                     14.6800
Sale             500                     14.7612
Sale             48                      14.8017
Sale             550                     14.6712
Sale             20,665                  14.7300
Sale             1,700                   14.8005
Sale             300                     14.6416
Sale             48                      14.6017
Sale             17,118                  14.7040

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          593245        14.7037
CFD            Long          17118         14.704
CFD            Long          26810         14.7225
CFD            Long          9275          14.7269
CFD            Long          54561         14.727
CFD            Long          1403          14.7563
CFD            Long          4763          14.7583
CFD            Long          586386        14.76
CFD            Long          23795         14.7736
CFD            Long          1700          14.8005
CFD            Long          8053          14.8146
CFD            Short         1000          14.5613
CFD            Short         2200          14.6009
CFD            Short         50065         14.6189
CFD            Short         3912          14.632
CFD            Short         20000         14.6327
CFD            Short         257100        14.6514
CFD            Short         53000         14.6561
CFD            Short         27320         14.6814
CFD            Short         5570          14.7172
CFD            Short         2032          14.7753

(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                         28 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