Director Interests

Barclays PLC
23 March 2004


                                                                   23 March 2004



         Notification of directors' interests: Companies Act 1985 s.329

1.      The independent trustee of the Barclays Group (ESAS) Employees' Benefit
Trust, (the 'ESAS trust') notified the Company on 22 March that it had between
16 March 2004 and 18 March 2004 exercised its discretion and released 63,498
ordinary shares in Barclays PLC to participants in the Executive Share Award
Scheme ('ESAS'). None of these shares were released to a director of Barclays
PLC.

Following these transactions, the trustees of all the Barclays Group employees'
benefit trusts hold a total of 108,101,894 ordinary shares in Barclays PLC. Sir
Peter Middleton, Chairman, and the executive directors of Barclays PLC are
amongst the potential beneficiaries under these trusts and are therefore
regarded for Companies Act purposes as being interested in the Barclays PLC
ordinary shares held in them.




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