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 March 2008

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      75,438,292      3.25%     3,054,448      0.13%
securities
(2) Derivatives    2,264,250      0.10%     6,385,389      0.27%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and            0      0.00%        78,200      0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             77,702,542      3.34%     9,518,037      0.41%


(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      2,174                 1.2319
Purchase      49,776                1.2350
Purchase      8,859                 1.1910
Purchase      30,730                1.2350
Purchase      11,141                1.2319
Purchase      94,643                1.2319
Purchase      20,143                1.2319
Purchase      273,086               1.2350
Purchase      144,397               1.2350
Purchase      73,568                1.1908
Purchase      15,112                1.2319
Purchase      89,009                1.2350
Purchase      22,239                1.2319
Purchase      12,338                1.2350
Purchase      118,837               1.1907
Purchase      8,088                 1.2319
Purchase      3,316                 1.2350
Purchase      133,300               1.2350
Purchase      468,018               1.1995
Purchase      10,455                1.2350
Purchase      58,340                1.2319
Purchase      66,917                1.2350
Purchase      178,991               1.2319
Purchase      7,400                 1.2350
Purchase      142,595               1.2113
Purchase      11,879                1.2319
Purchase      28,615                1.2100
Purchase      16,996                1.2350
Purchase      2,729                 1.2319
Purchase      150,985               1.2350
Purchase      33,931                1.2350
Purchase      184,912               1.2350
Purchase      24,422                1.2092
Purchase      4,851                 1.2319
Purchase      316,007               1.1990
Purchase      43,860                1.2319
Purchase      98,962                1.2319
Purchase      32,625                1.2319
Purchase      23,054                1.2350
Purchase      1,115                 1.2350
Purchase      4,162                 1.2350
Purchase      65,599                1.2350
Purchase      18,121                1.2350
Purchase      42,996                1.2319
Sale          218,773               1.2350
Sale          36,330                1.2350
Sale          316,007               1.1990
Sale          149,096               1.1989
Sale          117,671               1.2350
Sale          20,444                1.2348
Sale          316,007               1.1990
Sale          308,328               1.2153
Sale          2,000,000             1.2153
Sale          30,000                1.2222
Sale          83,424                1.2084
Sale          7,000                 1.2080
Sale          75,000                1.1910
Sale          43,239                1.2134
Sale          83,685                1.2104
Sale          26,908                1.2110

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         118837        1.1906
CFD            Short         73568         1.1907
CFD            Short         468018        1.1995
CFD            Short         24422         1.2092
CFD            Short         28615         1.21
CFD            Short         142595        1.2112
CFD            Long          5051          1.1883
CFD            Long          149096        1.1988
CFD            Long          7000          1.208
CFD            Long          83424         1.2084
CFD            Long          83685         1.2104
CFD            Long          26908         1.211
CFD            Long          43239         1.2133
CFD            Long          308328        1.2153
CFD            Long          28637         1.2159
CFD            Long          78170         1.2175
CFD            Long          30000         1.2222
CFD            Long          20444         1.2347
CFD            Long          36330         1.235

(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


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.

None


Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9)                 YES


Date of disclosure                         26 March 2008
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   -78,200                1.4070           EURO           06/05/2008

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