Director Shareholding

Barclays PLC
23 August 2004



                                                                  23 August 2004

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

The independent trustee of the Barclays Group (ESAS) Employees' Benefit Trust
(the 'ESAS Trust') notified the Company on 23 August 2004 that it had between 18
and 19 August 2004 exercised its discretion and released a total of 14,109
ordinary shares in Barclays PLC to participants in the Executive Share Award
Scheme ('ESAS'). The participants to whom the shares were released are not
directors of Barclays PLC.

Following these transactions, the trustees of all the Barclays Group employees'
benefit trusts hold a total of 109,960,444 ordinary shares in Barclays PLC. Sir
Peter Middleton, Chairman, and the executive directors of Barclays 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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