Director Shareholding

Barclays PLC
16 March 2004


                                                                   16 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 15 March that it had 
         between 8 March 2004 and 11 March 2004 exercised its discretion and 
         released 2,012,689 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.

2.       The independent trustee of the Barclays Group (ESAS) Supplementary
         Trust (the 'ESAS Supplementary trust') notified the Company on 15 March 
         2004 that it had between 8 March 2004 and 9 March 2004 released a total 
         of 1,143 shares in Barclays PLC at a price between £4.96 and £4.97per 
         share. None of the shares released were in respect of an award made to 
         a director of Barclays PLC.




Following these transactions, the trustees of all the Barclays Group employees'
benefit trusts hold a total of 108,165,392 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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