Transaction in Own Shares

At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 28 March 2006 shareholders
granted the company authority to purchase up to 26,922,919 ordinary shares.

The Company announces that it has today repurchased a further 600,000 ordinary
shares at a price of 166p per share. 1,100,000 ordinary shares have been
purchased to date under the above authority and the issued share capital
following cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 178,505,869 ordinary
shares.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares 125,294,250 shares have been repurchased.

6 April 2006