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               18 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       78,210,446   3.64%          2,613,276    0.12%
securities
(2) Derivatives     3,981,224   0.19%           9,439,541   0.44%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and       148,274   0.01%          -3,169,437  -0.15%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total              82,339,944    3.83%          8,883,380   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      1,514                1.6360
Purchase      12,000               1.6385
Purchase      11,236               1.6670
Purchase      30,675               1.6530
Purchase      14,251               1.6670
Purchase      14,905               1.6670
Purchase      8,783                1.6383
Purchase      3,937                Transfer
Purchase      32,575               1.6530
Purchase      192,320              1.6374
Purchase      24,071               1.6530
Purchase      98,060               1.6374
Sale          24,481               1.6530
Sale          3,000                1.6290
Sale          124,234              1.6499
Sale          11,236               1.6670
Sale          394,700              1.6300
Sale          4,000                1.6440
Sale          79                   1.6470
Sale          2,000                1.6342
Sale          410                  1.6460
Sale          7,000                1.6463
Sale          321,650              1.6300
Sale          7,532                1.6401
Sale          11,236               1.6670
Sale          43,929               1.6530
Sale          1,408                1.6290
Sale          131,600              1.6300
Sale          8,000                1.6303
Sale          200                  1.6290
Sale          204,817              1.6411
Sale          14,251               1.6670
Sale          1,098                Transfer
Sale          9,463                1.6424
Sale          460,953              1.6410
Sale          14,905               1.6670
Sale          14,905               1.6670
Sale          14,251               1.6670
Sale          2,000                1.6290
Sale          5,000                1.6303
Sale          75,385               1.6527

(b)  Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product    Long/Short    Number of Securities  Price Per
name                                           Unit
CFD        Short         134737                1.6352
CFD        Short         1514                  1.636
CFD        Short         257155                1.6373
CFD        Short         33225                 1.6375
CFD        Short         8783                  1.6383
CFD        Short         12000                 1.6385
CFD        Long          7532                  1.64
CFD        Long          204817                1.641
CFD        Long          9463                  1.6423
CFD        Long          124234                1.6499
CFD        Long          75385                 1.6527

(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                         19 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     148,274                   2.3000           AMER           21/12/2007
Option             Purchased     -2,460,802                1.7500           AMER           21/12/2007
Option             Purchased     -18,911                   1.5228           EURO           10/12/2007
Option             Purchased     -25,171                   1.7512           EURO           10/12/2007
Option             Purchased     -664,553                  2.0000           AMER           21/12/2007

Notes
1. Where there are open option positions or open derivative positions (except for CFD's), 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