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               31 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      78,887,095    3.67%       3,243,015      0.15%
securities
(2) Derivatives    7,539,273    0.35%      10,697,458      0.50%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and      532,565    0.02%       1,588,234      0.07%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total             86,958,933    4.04%      15,528,707      0.72%

(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      49                   1.8253
Purchase      510                  1.8199
Purchase      41,587               1.8700
Purchase      202                  Transfer
Purchase      6,068                1.8015
Purchase      300                  1.8279
Purchase      1,099                1.8029
Purchase      216,524              1.8598
Purchase      222                  1.8017
Purchase      65,584               1.8293
Purchase      15,661               1.7904
Purchase      138,085              1.7770
Purchase      103,695              1.8350
Purchase      138,085              1.8240
Purchase      600,573              1.8700
Purchase      10                   Transfer
Purchase      14,510               1.8462
Purchase      24,920               1.8700
Purchase      1,604                1.8700
Purchase      39,318               1.8320
Purchase      2,304                1.8230
Purchase      123,684              1.8428
Sale          269,655              1.8542
Sale          10,691               1.8447
Sale          200                  1.8445
Sale          138,085              1.8240
Sale          11,183               1.8700
Sale          60,642               1.8700
Sale          377,355              1.8460
Sale          120,000              1.8593
Sale          850                  1.8012
Sale          29,807               1.8130
Sale          138,085              1.8240
Sale          5,578                1.8465
Sale          22,000               1.8631
Sale          3,500                1.8403
Sale          600,573              1.8700
Sale          52,636               1.8696
Sale          123,684              1.8428
Sale          111,297              1.8410
Sale          1,136                1.8070
Sale          5,000                1.8005
Sale          138,085              1.7770
Sale          44,515               1.8700
Sale          123,684              1.8428

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product    Long/Short    Number of Securities  Price Per
name                                           Unit
CFD        Short         15661                 1.7903
CFD        Short         49                    1.8253
CFD        Short         65584                 1.8292
CFD        Short         39318                 1.832
CFD        Short         103695                1.8349
CFD        Short         14510                 1.8461
CFD        Short         216524                1.8598
CFD        Short         600573                1.87
CFD        Long          111297                1.8409
CFD        Long          123684                1.8427
CFD        Long          10691                 1.8446
CFD        Long          377355                1.846
CFD        Long          269655                1.8541
CFD        Long          22000                 1.8631
CFD        Long          52636                 1.8696
CFD        Long          1261788               1.87

(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                         01 August 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)