Director Shareholding

Provident Financial PLC
5 April 2001

                                 SCHEDULE 11

         NOTIFICATION OF INTERESTS OF DIRECTORS AND CONNECTED PERSONS

1) Name of company
Provident Financial plc


2) Name of director
Howard James Bell


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 or in respect of a
non-beneficial interest
Notification in respect of the spouse of Howard James Bell, Susan Vivienne
Bell


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


5) Please state whether notification relates to a person(s) connected
with the Director named in 2 above and identify the connected person(s)
Notification in respect of the spouse of Howard James Bell, Susan Vivienne
Bell


6) Please state the nature of the transaction. For PEP transactions
please indicate whether general/single co PEP and if discretionary/non
discretionary

Purchase of shares for discretionary single and general company PEPs



7) Number of shares/amount of
stock acquired
10


8) Percentage of issued class
0.000004


9) Number of shares/amount
of stock disposed
-


10) Percentage of issued class
-


11) Class of security
Ordinary shares of 10 4/11p


12) Price per share
797p


13) Date of transaction
2 April 2001


14) Date company informed
4 April 2001


15) Total holding following this notification
203,903


16) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
0.08190


If a director has been granted options by the company please complete the
following boxes

17) Date of grant
-


18) Period during which or date on which exercisable
-


19) Total amount paid (if any) for grant of the option
-


20) Description of shares or debentures involved: class, number
-


21) Exercise price (if fixed at time of grant) or indication that price
is to be fixed at time of exercise
-


22) Total number of shares or debentures over which options held
following this notification
-


23) Any additional information
-


24) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Tel: [phone] ext. 2356

Company Secretary


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



Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Company Secretary

5 April 2001