Holding in Company

Rio Tinto PLC
3 January 2001


                  DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS


1)   NAME OF COMPANY

     RIO TINTO PLC

2)   NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

     PRUDENTIAL PLC

3)   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of 
     holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a 
     non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
     holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

     AS IN (2) ABOVE

4)   Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the 
     number of shares held by each of them.

     SEE LETTER AND SCHEDULE BELOW 

5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.



6)   ( N/A %) of issued Class

7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

     -

8)   ( N/A %) of issued Class

9)   Class of security

     ORDINARY

10)  Date of transaction

     29.12.00

11)  Date company informed

     03.01.01

12)  Total holding following this notification

     32,881,614
               
              
13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

     3.09%

14)  Any additional information

     ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL IS 1,063,514,965 AS STATED IN THE SCHEDULE BELOW

15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries

     MATTHEW WHYTE - 020 7753 2317

16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for 
     making this notification

B G GALE
ASSISTANT SECRETARY

     Date of Notification ...3 JANUARY 2001...




LETTER TO RIO TINTO PLC

LETTER DATED 2 JANUARY 2001


Companies Act 1985 (as amended) (the 'Act')
Disclosure of Interests in Shares

For the purpose of this and future notifications pursuant to Part VI of the 
Act, we write to inform you that with effect from close of business on 31
December 2000, the regulated business of M&G Investment Management Limited
('MAGIM') was transferred to Prudential Portfolio Managers Limited ('PPM'). The 
latter has today been renamed as M&G Investment Management Limited.
Consequently, you will observe in the current notification (and in all future
notifications henceforth) that the PPM name has in all instances been replaced
by that of M&G.

We also write to inform you that with effect from 28 December 2000, the life and
pensions business of M&G Life Assurance Company Limited and M&G Pensions and
Annuity Company Limited respectively was transferred to Scottish Amicable Life
plc. From the date hereof, all notifications will therefore identify Scottish
Amicable Life plc as the operator of all former M&G life and pension funds.

In view of the above, the schedule below detailing those interests currently
held by Prudential plc and certain of its subsidiary companies, which reflects
the recent changes to the investment management business of M&G.  You should be
aware that all notifications will now be made by M&G Investment Management
Limited on behalf of all companies within the Prudential plc group of companies.

For the purpose of S210 of the Act, the address for those companies identified
in the schedule below is Laurence Pountney Hill, London EC4R 0HH.

In order to assist us to comply with our notification obligations under the
Banking Act, Insurance Companies Act and Investment Services Regulations, we 
would appreciate it if you would notify us of any future changes within your 
group structure relating to the formation, acquisition or disposal of any of the
following: (i) a bank, (ii) an insurance company and/or (iii) an authorised
investment firm.


LETTER FROM M&G INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT LIMITED



                  Notifiable Position Report for Rio Tinto ORD GBP0.10 (Regd)
                             as at 29 December 2000

Percentage holdings are calculated using an issued share capital of
1,063,514,965 ORD GBP0.10 shares

            Registered Holder          Holding      %

Prudential                           32,881,614   3.09  Total Notifiable     
Plc                                                     Interest             
                                                                      
            M&G (LOMBARD ST)
            NOMS FPM                     76,956
            M&G (LOMBARD ST)
            NOMS HB                     200,000
            MAGIM HSBC GIS NOM
            (UK) SAKI                   109,000
            PACS GLOBAL EQUITIES
            (UK)                          1,650
            PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM
            (UK) PAC AC              30,573,782
            PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM
            (UK) PHL AC                 260,000                       
            PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM
            (UK) PPL AC               1,634,643
            PRUDENTIAL HOLBORN
            PENSIONS LD                   1,123
            PRUDENTIAL WORLD
            VALUE FUND                   15,710
            RBSTB NOMINEES LIMITED        8,750