Holding(s) in Company

Provident Financial PLC
25 March 2003

                                  SCHEDULE 10

                   NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES



1. Name of company


Provident Financial plc



2. Name of shareholder having a major interest


Barclays 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


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


Registered Holder                                                Account                      Holding
Almlufttl-18409-Chase Manhatta                                   ALMLUFTT                       146,318
Astexmttl-21359-Chase Nominees                                   ASTEXMTT                        19,221
Asukexttl-20947-Chase Manhatta                                   ASUKEXTT                       578,599
Bank Of Ireland                                                  BNX009IE                        71,281
Barclays Capital Nominees Limi                                                                   25,808
Barclays Trust Co E99                                                                               453
Barclays Trust Co R69                                                                            25,690
Blentfukq-16344-Chase Manhatta                                   BLENTFUK                        10,961
Blentpukq-16345-Chase Manhatta                                   BLENTPUK                        17,018
Bleqfdukq-16331-Chase Manhatta                                   BLEOFDUK                        81,819
Bleqptuea-16341-Chase Manhatta                                   BLEOPTUE                       100,616
Bleqptukq-16341-Chase Manhatta                                   BLEUPTUK                       235,519
Blintnukq-ZIAJ-Dummy                                             BLINTNUK                        14,118
Blintpukq-16342-Chase Manhatta                                   BLINTPUK                        28,249
Blukinttl-16400-Chase Manhatta                                   BLUKINTT                     2,919,357
Boston Safe Deposit And Trust                                    591668                          63,344
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             500227                       1,125,642
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             502872                         408,678
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             508068                         117,044
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             527191                         445,321
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             536747                          88,389
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             552942                          70,321
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             585439                           3,455
Chase Manhattan Bank                                             586528                           3,510
Chatrkttl-16376-Chase Manhatta                                   CHATRKTT                       136,608
Investors Bank And Trust Co.                                     428169                          27,892
Investors Bank And Trust Co.                                     555879                           4,961
Investors Bank And Trust Co.                                     573039                          30,100
Investors Bank And Trust Co.                                     583293                          91,607
Investors Bank And Trust Co.                                     585918                             760
Investors Bank And Trust Co.                                     595966                          94,351
Investors Bank And Trust Co.                                     911140                           7,546
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              540186                          27,456
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              555465                          41,012
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTC034IE                         3,324
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTC045IE                        26,789
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTGF01IE                         2,880
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTGF04IE                        36,379
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTGF05IE                         1,917
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTGF07IE                         5,338
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTK001IE                        29,952
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTS004IE                        27,998
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTS005IE                         4,525
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTS022IE                         3,143
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTS024IE                         1,922
JPMorgan Chase Bank                                              BTS028IE                       107,814
Mitsubishi Trust International                                   BNN018IE                         1,358
Northern Trust Bank - BGI SEPA                                   581610                          29,599
Northern Trust Bank - BGI SEPA                                   584069                          14,902
State Street                                                     BNN005IE                           633
State Street                                                     BNX012IE                         5,224
State Street                                                     BNX021IE                            46
State Street Bank And Trust                                      713101                         259,057
Swan Nominees Limited                                                                               283
Zeban Nominees Limited                                                                            9,921



5. Number of shares / amount of stock acquired


-



6. Percentage of issued class


-



7. Number of shares / amount of stock disposed


-



8. Percentage of issued class


-



9. Class of security


Ordinary shares of 10 4/11p



10. Date of transaction


Not disclosed



11. Date company informed


24 March 2003



12. Total holding following this notification


7,636,028



13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification


3.00%



14. Any additional information


-



15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries


Caroline L Farbridge

01274 731111 extension 2569



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


Caroline L Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary



Date of notification


25 March 2003




                      This information is provided by RNS
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