In compliance with the Financial Services Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules, we hereby notify the market of the following:
On 31 March 2011, the Company
Ordinary shares
● had 600,828,891 issued ordinary shares of 7.375p each admitted to trading. On a poll vote, an ordinary shareholder has one vote for every 25p of nominal value of ordinary share capital held in relation to all circumstances at general meetings of the Company;
● held 30,162,339 ordinary shares in treasury and the voting rights of these treasury shares are automatically suspended; and
● accordingly had maximum total voting rights of 168,346,632 attached to its 570,666,552 issued ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares).
Preference shares
● had 75,000 issued preference shares of £1 each admitted to trading. On a poll vote, a preference shareholder has one vote for every 25p of nominal value of preference share capital held in relation to all circumstances at general meetings of the Company;
● held no preference shares in treasury; and
● accordingly, had total voting rights of 300,000 attached to its preference shares.
These total voting rights figures may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine whether they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Financial Services Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.