Rule 8.3 - FRIENDS PROVIDENT

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
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP0.10
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               24 July 2007

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      77,400,110    3.60%       2,700,452      0.13%
securities
(2) Derivatives    3,020,777    0.14%       5,337,388      0.25%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and      687,205    0.03%       2,047,991      0.10%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total             81,108,092    3.77%      10,085,831      0.47%

(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      31,301               1.9654
Purchase      11,396               1.9637
Purchase      2,490                1.9757
Purchase      200                  Transfer
Purchase      1,120                2.0081
Purchase      16,043               1.9650
Purchase      250                  1.9657
Purchase      3,545                2.0100
Purchase      5,734                1.9657
Purchase      1,505                1.9779
Purchase      121,683              1.8603
Purchase      25,445               1.9650
Purchase      850                  1.9979
Purchase      850                  1.9765
Purchase      200                  2.0175
Purchase      47,073               1.9931
Purchase      17,739               1.9866
Purchase      20,000               1.9667
Purchase      1,000                Transfer
Purchase      589                  2.0062
Purchase      17,055               1.9870
Purchase      1,016                1.9685
Purchase      368,400              1.9666
Sale          2,075                1.9910
Sale          3,125                1.9652
Sale          3,347                1.9925
Sale          2,000                1.9793
Sale          847                  2.0035
Sale          200                  Transfer
Sale          210,000              1.9909
Sale          11,896               2.0125
Sale          144,026              1.9682
Sale          71,188               1.9810
Sale          121,683              1.8603
Sale          8,703                1.9730
Sale          750                  1.9895
Sale          3,146                2.0014
Sale          5,227                1.9802
Sale          8,675                1.9683
Sale          3,545                2.0100
Sale          24,496               1.9615
Sale          3,545                1.9820
Sale          1,008                1.9983
Sale          2,000                1.9753
Sale          1,260                1.9651

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product    Long/Short    Number of Securities  Price Per
name                                           Unit
CFD        Short         31301                 1.9653
CFD        Short         5734                  1.9657
CFD        Short         368400                1.9665
CFD        Short         17739                 1.9866
CFD        Short         17055                 1.987
CFD        Short         47073                 1.993
CFD        Long          24496                 1.9614
CFD        Long          1260                  1.965
CFD        Long          8703                  1.9729
CFD        Long          32366                 1.9787
CFD        Long          38822                 1.9827
CFD        Long          3146                  2.0014

(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)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         25 July 2007
Contact name                               BARCLAYS COMPLIANCE
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)