Holding in Company

Provident Financial PLC
12 March 2001

                                 SCHEDULE 10

                  NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company
Provident Financial plc


2) Name of shareholder having a major interest
Schroder Investment Management Limited ('Schroders')


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
Notification in respect of shareholder named 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
Schroders are not obliged to disclose these details


5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired
-


6) Percentage of issued class
-


7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
25,000


8) Percentage of issued class
0.01%


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


10) Date of transaction
10 November 2000


11) Date company informed
9 March 2001


12) Total holding following this notification
24,813,728 (at 11 November 2000)



13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
9.97%


14) Any additional information
Schroders ceased to have a notifiable interest in the company (as defined in
section 199(b) of the Companies Act 1985)


15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries
Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Company Secretary

Tel: [phone] ext. 2356


16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for
making this notification
Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Company Secretary


Date of notification 12 March 2001