Transaction in Own Shares

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 30 March 2005 shareholders
granted the company authority to purchase up to 30,402,848 ordinary shares.

The Company announces that it has today repurchased a further 200,000 ordinary
shares at a price of 121.25p per share, making a total of 1,700,000 ordinary
shares repurchased today. 4,950,000 ordinary shares have been purchased to date
under the above authority and the issued share capital following cancellation
of the shares repurchased will be 197,870,869 ordinary shares.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares 105,929,250 shares have been repurchased.

10 May 2005