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               22 January 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      71,457,745     3.08%      3,775,802     0.16%
securities
(2) Derivatives    2,586,854     0.11%      4,504,009     0.19%
options)
(3) Options and            0     0.00%      5,000,000     0.22%
agreements to
purchase/sell
Total             74,044,599     3.19%     13,279,811     0.57%

(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      15                   1.6350
Purchase      60,000               1.5779
Purchase      196,537              1.5851
Purchase      93,122               1.6235
Purchase      739,998              1.5870
Purchase      38,545               1.5952
Purchase      109,017              1.5966
Purchase      98,545               1.5847
Purchase      147,631              1.5440
Purchase      83,891               1.6092
Purchase      31,188               1.5826
Purchase      2,100                1.6350
Purchase      42,249               1.6390
Purchase      3,638                1.6390
Purchase      838,253              1.5907
Purchase      60,000               1.5664
Purchase      107,148              1.5660
Purchase      12,479               1.5933
Purchase      169,397              1.6027
Purchase      23,998               1.5891
Purchase      60,000               1.5658
Purchase      838,253              1.5907
Purchase      3,405                1.5960
Purchase      12,479               1.5933
Purchase      37,924               1.5838
Purchase      1,290                1.6350
Purchase      57,756               1.5922
Purchase      20,630               1.5933
Sale          1,290                1.6350
Sale          109,017              1.5966
Sale          27,403               1.5948
Sale          1,850                1.5710
Sale          23,998               1.5891
Sale          93,122               1.6235
Sale          1,488                1.6390
Sale          739,998              1.5870
Sale          37,924               1.5838
Sale          38,545               1.5952
Sale          12,479               1.5933
Sale          60,000               1.5779
Sale          196,537              1.5851
Sale          57,756               1.5922
Sale          107,148              1.5660
Sale          15                   1.6350
Sale          83,891               1.6092
Sale          2,100                1.6350
Sale          838,253              1.5907
Sale          169,397              1.6027
Sale          739,998              1.5870
Sale          31,188               1.5826
Sale          147,631              1.5440
Sale          20,630               1.5933
Sale          60,000               1.5661
Sale          60,000               1.5655


(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product name,  Long/Short    Number of     Price per
(e.g. CFD)     (Note 6)      Securities    unit (GBP)
CFD            Short         78771         1.5554
CFD            Short         60000         1.5657
CFD            Short         66884         1.5727
CFD            Short         25330         1.5772
CFD            Short         194392        1.585
CFD            Short         196537        1.5851
CFD            Short         150300        1.5864
CFD            Short         284644        1.5915
CFD            Short         57756         1.5922
CFD            Short         12479         1.5932
CFD            Short         20630         1.5933
CFD            Short         109017        1.5966
CFD            Short         116388        1.5989
CFD            Short         93122         1.6235
CFD            Long          147631        1.544
CFD            Long          167148        1.566
CFD            Long          66527         1.5725
CFD            Long          31188         1.5825
CFD            Long          37924         1.5837
CFD            Long          184448        1.5878
CFD            Long          12479         1.5933
CFD            Long          113211        1.6022
CFD            Long          66988         1.605
CFD            Long          83891         1.6092
CFD            Long          46114         1.6386


(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)                 YES


Date of disclosure                         23 January 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   -5,000,000             1.4500           AMER           20/03/2008

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