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 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       98,861,757     4.48%      5,387,258     0.24%
securities
(2) Derivatives     4,333,379     0.20%      3,357,030     0.15%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and    1,002,450      0.05%        752,775     0.03%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             104,197,586     4.72%      9,497,063     0.43%

(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         258                     Transfer
Purchase         4,359                   14.9500
Purchase         2,000                   14.5463
Purchase         3,080                   14.8489
Purchase         30,240                  14.9500
Purchase         64                      Transfer
Purchase         7,453                   14.9500
Purchase         2,503                   14.9500
Purchase         16,624                  14.9500
Purchase         4,810                   14.7706
Purchase         6,196                   14.9500
Purchase         8,991                   14.6631
Purchase         4,624                   14.9500
Purchase         2,033                   14.9500
Purchase         5,580                   14.8846
Purchase         93                      14.8100
Purchase         5,700                   14.8988
Purchase         220,705                 14.7385
Purchase         60,845                  14.8601
Purchase         21,000                  14.9500
Purchase         2,695                   14.9219
Purchase         10,000                  14.9128
Purchase         10,020                  14.8863
Purchase         15,138                  14.9500
Purchase         36,685                  14.5900
Purchase         600                     14.7975
Purchase         190                     14.9488
Purchase         400                     14.8088
Purchase         600                     14.6400
Purchase         7,800                   14.5462
Purchase         72,927                  14.8253
Purchase         195                     14.8375
Purchase         520                     14.8188
Purchase         9,134                   14.9500
Purchase         3,068                   14.9500
Purchase         8,311                   14.5900
Purchase         119                     Transfer
Purchase         18,360                  14.9500
Purchase         28,185                  14.9500
Purchase         1,000                   14.8280
Purchase         16,624                  14.9500
Purchase         3,433                   14.7517
Sale             983                     14.8420
Sale             104,869                 14.6479
Sale             1,682                   14.9472
Sale             5,304                   14.8846
Sale             6,000                   14.8072
Sale             83,970                  14.8884
Sale             5,010                   14.8814
Sale             30,306                  14.7867
Sale             253                     14.7600
Sale             6,454                   14.8157
Sale             258                     Transfer
Sale             22,144                  14.6896
Sale             178                     14.5417
Sale             467                     14.5349
Sale             86                      14.9017
Sale             484                     Transfer
Sale             400                     14.9004
Sale             5,580                   14.8846
Sale             2,394                   14.9500
Sale             380                     14.8312
Sale             200                     14.9108
Sale             9,134                   14.9500
Sale             900                     14.8912
Sale             16,624                  14.9500
Sale             400                     14.9508
Sale             200                     14.5212
Sale             200                     14.8312
Sale             780                     14.5612
Sale             700                     14.5310
Sale             205                     14.8708
Sale             594                     14.7725
Sale             7,453                   14.9500
Sale             64                      Transfer
Sale             119                     Transfer
Sale             158                     14.8235
Sale             1,800                   14.7169
Sale             500                     14.8100
Sale             1,100                   14.5176
Sale             9,325                   14.9500
Sale             168,847                 14.8582
Sale             654                     Transfer
Sale             1,600                   14.7700
Sale             550                     14.9808
Sale             325                     14.8600
Sale             920                     14.9500
Sale             1,122                   14.9500
Sale             175                     14.7712
Sale             14,413                  14.8441

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          1100          14.5176
CFD            Long          104869        14.6478
CFD            Long          1800          14.7168
CFD            Long          1600          14.77
CFD            Long          30306         14.7867
CFD            Long          6000          14.8071
CFD            Long          500           14.81
CFD            Long          6454          14.8157
CFD            Long          14413         14.844
CFD            Long          168847        14.8581
CFD            Long          5010          14.8813
CFD            Long          5580          14.8845
CFD            Long          83970         14.8884
CFD            Long          1682          14.9471
CFD            Long          7855          14.9545
CFD            Short         7800          14.5461
CFD            Short         2000          14.5463
CFD            Short         600           14.64
CFD            Short         8991          14.6631
CFD            Short         220705        14.7385
CFD            Short         3433          14.7517
CFD            Short         4810          14.7705
CFD            Short         72927         14.8252
CFD            Short         3080          14.8488
CFD            Short         60845         14.8601
CFD            Short         5580          14.8845
CFD            Short         10020         14.8863
CFD            Short         5700          14.8987
CFD            Short         10000         14.9128

(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                         01 April 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                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
Option            Purchased   250                    1,500.0000       EURO           18/12/2009
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   -1,775                 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