Compulsory Acqn of Shares

Compagnie de Saint-Gobain
08 December 2005


Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in, into or
from Australia or Canada

8 December 2005

                           Compagnie de Saint-Gobain

                         Recommended Offer for BPB plc

     Compulsory Acquisition of Outstanding BPB Shares and Delisting of BPB



Saint-Gobain announces that the Offeror, as of 1.00p.m. on 5 December 2005, has
acquired or agreed to acquire more than 90 per cent. of the BPB Shares to which
the Recommended Offer relates and, therefore, will today implement the
procedures set out in sections 428 to 430F of the Companies Act to acquire
compulsorily those BPB Shares for which it has not received acceptances of the
Recommended Offer by 19 January 2006. After the compulsory acquisition procedure
is complete, the Recommended Offer will no longer be capable of acceptance.

BPB announced yesterday that it had applied to the FSA for the cancellation of
BPB's listing on the Official List of the FSA and to the London Stock Exchange
for the cancellation of the admission to trading of BPB Shares on the London
Stock Exchange's market for listed securities.  The FSA has now confirmed,
subject to final approval, that cancellation of listing and admission to trading
will take effect from 10 January 2006.

Enquiries

Saint-Gobain (for analysts and investors)
Florence Triou-Teixeira, Head of IR                  Tel: [phone]
Alexandre Etuy, Deputy Head of IR                    Tel: [phone]

BNP Paribas (joint financial adviser to Saint-Gobain)
Thierry Dormeuil                                     Tel: [phone]
Oliver Ellingham                                     Tel: [phone]

UBS Investment Bank (joint financial adviser and broker to Saint-Gobain)
Charles-Henri Le Bret                                Tel: [phone]
Liam Beere                                           Tel: [phone]

Brunswick (PR adviser to Saint-Gobain)
John Sunnucks                                        Tel: [phone]
Sophie Fitton                                        Tel: [phone]




Notes

Copies of the Recommended Offer Document and the New Form of Acceptance are
available for collection (during normal business hours) from Capita Registrars
at PO Box 166, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 4TH.

Further information on Saint-Gobain is available on Saint-Gobain's website
www.saint-gobain.com

Terms used in this announcement shall have the meaning given to them in the
Recommended Offer Document.

The Recommended Offer in the United States is made solely by the Offeror and
neither BNP Paribas, UBS nor any of their respective affiliates is making the
Offer into the United States.

The Saint-Gobain Directors and the Offeror Directors accept responsibility for
the information contained in this announcement. To the best of the knowledge and
belief of the Saint-Gobain Directors and the Offeror Directors (who have taken
all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained
in this announcement for which they are responsible is in accordance with the
facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such
information.

BNP Paribas and UBS are acting exclusively for Saint-Gobain and the Offeror in
connection with the Recommended Offer and no one else, and will not be
responsible to anyone other than Saint-Gobain and the Offeror for providing the
protections afforded to respective clients of BNP Paribas and UBS nor for
providing advice in relation to the Recommended Offer or any other matter
referred to herein.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation to
purchase any securities or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.


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