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               26 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      78,317,419    3.64%       2,266,402      0.11%
securities
(2) Derivatives    4,092,770    0.19%       7,590,730      0.35%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and      402,822    0.02%       1,303,512      0.06%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total             82,813,011    3.85%      11,160,644      0.52%

(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      1,293                1.9179
Purchase      77,249               1.8506
Purchase      2,735                1.8157
Purchase      1,027                1.9469
Purchase      100                  1.9145
Purchase      440                  Transfer
Purchase      444                  Transfer
Purchase      264,630              1.8153
Purchase      1,246                Transfer
Purchase      335                  1.9054
Purchase      10,315               1.9387
Purchase      100                  1.9445
Purchase      97                   1.9147
Purchase      5,236                1.8980
Purchase      2,071                1.9157
Purchase      2,000                1.9177
Purchase      1,010                1.8595
Purchase      70,000               1.8150
Purchase      259,906              1.8928
Purchase      53,203               1.8974
Purchase      47,057               1.9274
Purchase      2,240                1.8150
Purchase      40,562               1.8154
Purchase      5,000                1.9250
Purchase      2,715                1.9165
Purchase      192,174              1.8154
Sale          231,206              1.9029
Sale          8,666                1.8604
Sale          118,124              1.9207
Sale          4,990                1.8115
Sale          1,505                1.8740
Sale          400                  1.9213
Sale          1,100                1.9183
Sale          164,755              1.9195
Sale          49,904               1.8150
Sale          14,027               1.9052
Sale          1,000                1.9295
Sale          335                  1.8706
Sale          47,203               1.9018
Sale          4,655                1.8224
Sale          45,534               1.9004

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product    Long/Short    Number of Securities  Price Per
name                                           Unit
CFD        Short        497366                 1.8153
CFD        Short        77249                  1.8506
CFD        Short        259906                 1.8928
CFD        Short        53203                  1.8974
CFD        Short        335                    1.9054
CFD        Short        140256                 1.9083
CFD        Short        47057                  1.9274
CFD        Long         4655                   1.8223
CFD        Long         335                    1.8706
CFD        Long         45534                  1.9003
CFD        Long         47203                  1.9018
CFD        Long         231206                 1.9028
CFD        Long         164755                 1.9195
CFD        Long         118124                 1.9206

(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                         27 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)