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 6,000,000
ordinary shares at a price of 165.5 pence per share. 16,025,000 ordinary shares
have been purchased to date under the above authority and the issued share
capital following cancellation of the shares repurchased will be 163,580,869
ordinary shares.

Since 12 November 1999 when the Company first obtained powers to purchase its
own shares 140,219,250 shares have been repurchased.

20 November 2006