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               03 September 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       82,221,861   3.82%          2,270,836    0.11%
securities
(2) Derivatives    20,087,557   0.93%         23,994,170    1.12%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and       198,694   0.01%          2,714,620    0.13%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total              102,508,112  4.77%         28,979,626    1.35%

(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      324                  Transfer
Purchase      2,780                1.7870
Purchase      674                  1.7787
Purchase      3,000                1.7817
Purchase      5,587                1.7897
Purchase      5,000                1.7835
Purchase      2,480,000            1.8100
Purchase      5,616                1.7805
Purchase      5,900                1.7830
Purchase      4,400                1.7785
Purchase      233,680              1.7790
Purchase      1,703                1.7750
Purchase      1,770                1.7842
Purchase      172,974              1.7837
Purchase      7,060                1.7759
Purchase      207,912              1.7826
Purchase      3,000                1.7913
Sale          1,375                1.7862
Sale          2,000                1.7840
Sale          5,101                1.7832
Sale          1,563                1.7860
Sale          38,803               1.7867

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product    Long/Short    Number of Securities  Price Per
name                                           Unit
CFD        Short         7060                  1.7759
CFD        Short         4400                  1.7784
CFD        Short         102224                1.7797
CFD        Short         33764                 1.7808
CFD        Short         5900                  1.783
CFD        Short         172974                1.7837
CFD        Short         105688                1.7852
CFD        Short         3000                  1.7913
CFD        Long          5101                  1.7831
CFD        Long          1563                  1.7859
CFD        Long          38803                 1.7866

(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                         04 September 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)

DETAILS OF OPEN POSITIONS
(This form should be attached to Form 8.1, Form 8.1(b)(ii) or Form 8.3, as appropriate)

Product name,      Written or    Number of Securities to   Exercise Price   Type, e.g.     Expiry Date
e.g. call option   Purchased     which the option or       (Note 2)         American,
                                 derivative relates                         European etc.
Option             Purchased     198,694                   2.3000           AMER           21/12/2007
Option             Purchased     -1,755,818                1.7500           AMER           21/12/2007
Option             Purchased     -958,802                  2.0000           AMER           21/12/2007
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