Rule 8.3 - FRIENDS PROVIDENT 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              FRIENDS PROVIDENT GROUP PLC
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP0.05
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               01 October 2009

2.   INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE

(a)  Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of
relevantsecurity dealt in (Note 3)

                            Long                     Short

                      Number       (%)         Number       (%)

(1) Relevant     106,014,869     4.53%        374,582     0.02%
securities
(2) Derivatives      297,427     0.01%        576,626     0.02%
(other than
options
(3) Options and       60,000     0.00%              0     0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total            106,372,296     4.55%        951,208     0.04%


(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           Price per unit
                   Securities          (GBP)
Purchase           195,415             .8418
Purchase           85,525              .8437
Purchase           25,141              .8386
Purchase           16,520              .8421
Purchase           5,110               .8441
Purchase           3,054               .8385
Sale               42,026              .8401
Sale               20,634              .8397
Sale               11,010              .8411
Sale               6,633               .8420
Sale               1,160               .8420
Sale               400                 .8400
Sale               91                  .8420


(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Long          20634         0.8397
CFD            Long          400           0.8399
CFD            Long          42026         0.8401
CFD            Long          11010         0.8411
CFD            Long          146842        0.842
CFD            Long          67006         0.8427
CFD            Long          109600        0.8445
CFD            Long          12171         0.8454
CFD            Short         28195         0.8385
CFD            Short         16520         0.842
CFD            Short         85525         0.8436
CFD            Short         5110          0.8441


(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 (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
None

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)                 YES


Date of disclosure                         02 October 2009
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   60,000                 0.9655           EURO           15/12/2009

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