Rule 8.3 - BOC GROUP 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              BOC GROUP PLC
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP 0.25
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               2 FEBRUARY 2006



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              26,052,981    (5.14%)      382,384    (0.08%)
securities
(2) Derivatives               31,443    (0.01%)       92,587    (0.02%)
(other than options)
(3) Options and              300,264    (0.06%)            0    (0.00%)
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total                     26,384,688    (5.21%)      474,971    (0.09%)


(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      3,820                14.9224
Purchase      10,000               14.8900
Purchase      916                  14.9600
Sale          150                  14.9400
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          1,350                14.9400
Sale          350                  14.9100
Sale          308                  14.9400
Sale          350                  14.9400
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          150                  15.0200
Sale          1,109                14.9400
Sale          355                  14.9200
Sale          145                  14.9200
Sale          2,000                14.9600
Sale          1,890                14.9200
Sale          330                  14.9057
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          125                  14.9010
Sale          450                  14.9500
Sale          330                  14.9500
Sale          240                  14.9200
Sale          275                  14.9200
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          145                  14.9200
Sale          350                  14.9010
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          250                  14.9200
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          130                  14.9400
Sale          250                  14.9010
Sale          329                  14.9200
Sale          395                  14.9200
Sale          140                  14.9400
Sale          300                  14.9200
Sale          205                  14.9400
Sale          660                  14.9200
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          280                  14.9400
Sale          565                  14.9200
Sale          327                  14.9200
Sale          175                  14.9400
Sale          260                  14.9400
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          160                  14.9200
Sale          270                  14.9400
Sale          250                  14.9200
Sale          200                  14.9400
Sale          800                  14.9400
Sale          205                  14.9400
Sale          710                  14.9400
Sale          160                  14.9400
Sale          200                  14.9500
Sale          370                  14.9300
Sale          250                  14.9200
Sale          400                  14.9400
Sale          700                  14.9170
Sale          4,000                14.9170
Sale          900                  14.9170
Sale          13,800               14.9399
Sale          58,100               14.9418
Sale          200                  14.9463
Sale          36,000               14.8500
Sale          4,577                 14.8797


(b)  Derivatives transactions
 (other than options)

 Product     Long/Short    Number of Securities Price Per
 name,       (Note 6)      (Note 7)             Unit (GBP)
 e.g. CFD
 CFD         Long          200                  14.9463
 CFD         Long          58,100               14.9418
 CFD         Long          13,800               14.9399
 CFD         Short         10,000               14.8900


(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 (Note
                varying etc.      relates (Note 7)                                         5)
Call Option     Purchasing        200,000            16.0000   American        17/03/2006  0.12


(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.





Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached?
(Note 9)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         3 FEBRUARY 2006
Contact name                               BARCLAYS CORPORATE SECRETARIAT
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