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               25 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      77,967,638    3.63%       2,612,536      0.12%
securities
(2) Derivatives    3,480,958    0.16%       6,515,358      0.30%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and      597,446    0.03%       1,908,537      0.09%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total             82,046,042    3.82%      11,036,431      0.51%

(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      98,555               1.9636
Purchase      2,500                1.9336
Purchase      7,886                1.9410
Purchase      1,511                1.9517
Purchase      775                  1.9425
Purchase      28,849               1.9440
Purchase      2,522                1.9689
Purchase      86,427               1.9466
Purchase      3,500                1.9653
Purchase      710,769              1.9473
Purchase      50,762               1.9414
Purchase      58,894               1.9504
Sale          2,491                1.9313
Sale          1,107                1.9425
Sale          1,000                1.9705
Sale          500                  1.9602
Sale          194                  1.9312
Sale          1,500                1.9403
Sale          3,078                1.9803
Sale          4,563                1.9603
Sale          1,500                1.9345
Sale          444                  1.9230
Sale          31,880               1.9392
Sale          31,301               1.9627
Sale          8,864                1.9386
Sale          33                   1.9718
Sale          82,507               1.9466
Sale          48,737               1.9561
Sale          257,023              1.9285
Sale          8,700                1.9810

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product    Long/Short    Number of Securities  Price Per
name                                           Unit
CFD        Short         50762                 1.9413
CFD        Short         28849                 1.9439
CFD        Short         86427                 1.9466
CFD        Short         710769                1.9472
CFD        Short         58894                 1.9503
CFD        Short         143714                1.9563
CFD        Short         98555                 1.9635
CFD        Long          257023                1.9285
CFD        Long          31880                 1.9391
CFD        Long          82507                 1.9465
CFD        Long          48737                 1.956
CFD        Long          31301                 1.9626
CFD        Long          33                    1.9718
CFD        Long          8700                  1.981


(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                         26 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)