Holding in Company

Provident Financial PLC
17 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 Limited


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 357206    5,108,413
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK)Ltd         A/c 866203    188,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK)Ltd         A/c 770286    16,786




5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired
-


6) Percentage of issued class
-


7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
113,712


8) Percentage of issued class
0.046%


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


10) Date of transaction
15 May 2001


11) Date company informed
16 May 2001


12) Total holding following this notification
7,349,368



13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
2.95%


14) Any additional information
-


15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries
Caroline Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary

Tel: [phone] ext. 2569


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

Caroline Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary

Date of notification 17 May 2001