Holding in Company

Provident Financial PLC
3 May 2001

                                 SCHEDULE 10

                  NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company
Provident Financial plc


2) Name of shareholder having a major interest
Legal & General Investment Management Ltd


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
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 775229            50,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 886603           474,598
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 775245         1,250,837
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 754612           113,859
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 360509           146,875
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 770286            59,332
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 357206         5,125,288
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd         A/c 866203           188,000



5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired
-


6) Percentage of issued class
-


7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
50,000


8) Percentage of issued class
0.02%


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


10) Date of transaction
30 April 2001


11) Date company informed
2 May 2001


12) Total holding following this notification
7,408,789



13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
2.98%


14) Any additional information
-


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 3 May 2001