Rule 8.3- (BHP Billiton PLC)

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC
04 January 2008


                                                                      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 (Note 1)                          Royal Bank of Scotland
                                                         Group Plc

Company dealt in                                         BHP Billiton Plc

Class of relevant security to which the dealings being   ORD USD 0.50
disclosed relate (Note 2)

Date of dealing                                          03 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 securities          23,643,991    (1.0591%     727,551    (0.0326%)
(2) Derivatives (other than
options)                                995    (0.0000%)    193,557    (0.0087%)
(3) Options and agreements to
purchase/sell                     2,723,000    (0.1220%)  3,360,000    (0.1505%)
                       Total     26,367,986    (1.1694%)  4,281,108    (0.1918%)



(b) Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
than the class dealt in (Note 3)

          Class of relevant security:                  Long            Short
                                                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 (Note 5)
Purchase                               1,500   15.3800 GBP
Purchase                               2,500   15.4200 GBP
Purchase                             100,000   15.4500 GBP
Purchase                             172,500   15.4598 GBP
Purchase                              14,788   15.5100 GBP
Purchase                              14,787   15.5200 GBP
Purchase                                 509   15.6200 GBP
Purchase                                 729   15.6300 GBP
Purchase                                 187   15.6400 GBP
Purchase                               1,938   15.6500 GBP
Purchase                                  62   15.6600 GBP
Purchase                               5,731   15.9700 GBP
Purchase                              20,000   15.9700 GBP
TOTAL:                               335,231   
Sale                                   7,000   15.4400 GBP
Sale                                   2,200   15.4500 GBP
Sale                                  33,000   15.5150 GBP
Sale                                   2,000   15.8900 GBP
Sale                                   5,731   15.9700 GBP
Sale                                  30,000   15.3940 GBP 
TOTAL:                                79,931

(b)               Derivatives transactions (other than options)

Product      Long/short (Note   Number of securities (Note Price per unit (Note
name,        6)                 7)                         5)
e.g. CFD
Jun 2008
Call         Long                                  5,000   0.4200 EUR
Warrant
Jun 2009
Call         Short                                20,000   0.4300 EUR
Warrant
Jun 2009
Call         Short                                 2,000   0.4900 EUR
Warrant

(c)                Options transactions in respect of existing securities


(i)                  Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Product Writing,       Number of          Exercise Type, e.g.  Expiry Option
name,   selling,       securities to               American,          money
        purchasing,    which the option            European
        varying etc.   relates (Note 7)            etc.
e.g.                                      price                date   paid/
call                                                                  received
option                                                                per unit
                                                                      (Note 5)



(ii) Exercising

Product name, e.g. call       Number of           Exercise price per unit (Note
option                        securities          5)

(d) Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)
Nature of transaction (Note 8)  Details  Price per unit (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) YES/NO



Date of disclosure                                             04 January 2008

Contact name                                                   Richard Hopkins

Telephone number                                               [phone]

If a connected EFM, name of offeree/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 Written   Number of securities to     Exercise    Type, e.g.      Expiry
name,   or        which the option or         price (Note American,       date
        purchased derivative relates          2)          European etc.
e.g.
call
option
Mar
2008    Purchased                   250,000   18.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
Call                                                                      2008
Option
Mar
2008    Written                     250,000   19.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
Call                                                                      2008
Option
Jun
2008    Written                      25,000   12.000 GBP  American        20 Jun
Put                                                                       2008
Option
Jun
2008    Written                     160,000   13.000 GBP  American        20 Jun
Put                                                                       2008
Option
Mar
2008    Written                     178,000   13.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
Put                                                                       2008
Option
Jan     Written                     500,000   16.000 GBP  American        18 Jan
2008                                                                      2008
Call
Mar     Written                     500,000   15.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
2008                                                                      2008
Put
Apr     Written                     110,000   9.850 GBP   American        11 Apr
2008                                                                      2008
Put
Apr     Purchased                   110,000   9.850 GBP   American        11 Apr
2008                                                                      2008
Put
Mar     Written                   1,000,000   25.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
2008                                                                      2008
Call
Mar     Purchased                   500,000   15.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
2008                                                                      2008
Call
Mar     Written                     500,000   10.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
2008                                                                      2008
Put
Mar     Written                     500,000   9.000 GBP   American        20 Mar
2008                                                                      2008
Put
Mar     Purchased                 1,000,000   15.000 GBP  American        20 Mar
2008                                                                      2008
Put
Mar     Purchased                   500,000   9.000 GBP   American        20 Mar
2008                                                                      2008
Put


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



                                                                     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 (Note 1)                          Royal Bank of Scotland
                                                         Group Plc
Company dealt in                                         BHP Billiton Ltd
Class of relevant security to which the dealings being   Ordinary
disclosed relate (Note 2)

Date of dealing                                          3 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 securities          845,619      (0.0252%)   5,127,803    (0.1527%)
(2) Derivatives (other than
options)                               0         (0.0%)           0       (0.0%)
(3) Options and agreements to
purchase/sell                          0         (0.0%)           0       (0.0%)
                      Total      845,619      (0.0252%)   5,127,803    (0.1527%)



(b) Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
than the class dealt in (Note 3)

          Class of relevant security:                  Long            Short
                                                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 (Note 5)
Purchase                             265,000   40.00 AUD
Sale                                 100,000   40.00 AUD
Sale                                 150,000   40.06 AUD

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
Product      Long/short (Note   Number of securities (Note Price per unit (Note
name,        6)                 7)                         5)
e.g. CFD



(c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying
Product Writing,       Number of          Exercise Type, e.g.  Expiry Option
name,   selling,       securities to               American,          money
        purchasing,    which the option            European
        varying etc.   relates (Note 7)            etc.
e.g.                                      price                date   paid/
call                                                                  received
option                                                                per unit
                                                                      (Note 5)



(ii) Exercising

Product name, e.g. call       Number of           Exercise price per unit (Note
option                        securities          5)

(d) Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)

Nature of transaction (Note 8)  Details  Price per unit (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) YES/NO

Date of disclosure                                             04 January 2008

Contact name                                                   Richard Hopkins

Telephone number                                               [phone]

If a connected EFM, name of offeree/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



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