Rule 8.3 - VIRIDIAN GROUP

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              VIRIDIAN GROUP
Class of relevant security    ORD GBP0.277778
to which the dealings being
disclosed relate (Note 2)
Date of dealing               06 October 2006

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          3,439,796     2.81%           5,737   0.00%
securities
(2) Derivatives         127,086     0.10%          91,924   0.07%
(other than
options)
(3) Options and               0     0.00%               0   0.00%
agreements to
purchase/sell

Total                 3,566,882     2.91%          97,661   0.08%


(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      120,000              13.3199
Purchase      7,100                12.1876
Purchase      29,796               13.2544
Purchase      25,000               13.1697
Purchase      200,000              13.1794
Sale          6,700                13.1540
Sale          21,553               13.1438
Sale          21,817               13.2143
Sale          1,229                13.1800
Sale          2,513                13.1700
Sale          8,572                13.2143


(b)  Derivatives transactions
        (other than options)
Product name,    Long/Short       Number of      Price per unit
(e.g. CFD)       (Note 6)         Securities     (GBP)
CFD              Long            21553          13.1438
CFD              Long            6700           13.1540
CFD              Long            2513           13.1700
CFD              Short             7100           12.1876
CFD              Short             28529          13.1968
CFD              Short             29796          13.2543


(c)  Options transactions in
respect of existing securities

Purchase/sale Number of Securities  Price per unit
                                    (GBP)



(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 (GBP)




(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.





Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached?
(Note 9)                 NO


Date of disclosure                         09 October 2006
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)


Notes

The Notes on Form 8.3 can be
viewed on the Takeover Panel's
website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk