Disposal

Barclays PLC
16 April 2007



                                                                 16th April 2007


                                  BARCLAYS PLC

  Barclays sells Barclays Global Investors Japan Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. to
                     The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.

Barclays Bank PLC ('Barclays') today announces the sale of Barclays Global
Investors Japan Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. ('BTB'), the trust administration and
custody operation in Japan of Barclays asset management division, Barclays
Global Investors ('BGI'), to The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. ('STB') for
a consideration of approximately JPY4.9 billion (approximately £21 million)
payable in cash.

In addition to its trust administration and custody services, BTB provides asset
management services to pension and asset management clients. Under the terms of
the agreement with STB, BGI will consolidate the asset management business of
BTB into Barclays Global Investors Japan Limited prior to completion of the sale
of BTB.

Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected
to occur around the end of 2007.

                                    - ENDS -


For further information please contact:

Barclays

Investor Relations                         Media Relations
Mark Merson/James S Johnson                Alistair Smith
[phone]/2927                  [phone]


                                           Contact at Barclays Global Investors:
                                           Gavin Anderson Japan
                                           Deborah Hayden / Yukako Yoshino
                                           [phone]


The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.

IR Office, Financial Management Dept.
[phone]



About Barclays
Barclays PLC is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and
commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and
investment management services. It is one of the largest financial services
companies in the world by market capitalization. With over 300 years of history
and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs
123,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 27
million customers and clients worldwide. For further information about Barclays,
please visit our website www.barclays.com.

About Barclays Global Investors
Barclays Global Investors ('BGI') is one of the world's largest asset managers
and a leading global provider of investment management products and services.
BGI has 2,900 institutional clients and over US$1.8 trillion of assets under
management. BGI is the global product leader in Exchange Traded Funds (iShares)
with over 190 funds for institutions and individuals trading in fifteen markets.
Globally, it has $287 billion of iShares assets under management. In Japan, BGI
has two principal operating entities: Barclays Global Investors Japan Trust &
Banking Co., Ltd. ('BTB'), a licensed trust bank, and Barclays Global Investors
Japan Limited ('BJL'), a licensed investment trust and investment advisory
company. BTB is the largest foreign owned trust bank in terms of corporate
pension trust assets under management and BJL is the largest foreign owned
pension asset manager in Japan. The two entities combined manage a total of
approximately JPY19 trillion yen. For further information about Barclays Global
Investors, please visit our websites www.barclaysglobal.com and
www.barclaysglobal.co.jp.

About The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.
The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. ('STB') is a prominent trust bank,
providing Japanese clients with banking, trust, and real estate services. STB
has JPY11.1 trillion of deposits, JPY10.6 trillion of loans and manages JPY70.8
trillion of trust assets as at end September 2006. STB operates through 60
domestic and 4 international branches/offices, and promotes global custody
services utilizing its subsidiaries in United States and Luxembourg. STB
completed the repayment of public funds in January 2004, which was one of the
earliest recoveries from governmental support. Being autonomous and independent
of Japanese mega bank groups, STB has effectively and strategically extended
capital investment and business alliances to expand its customer franchise and
business networks. STB has capabilities both to provide asset management
services and to administer the processing of securities of such trust funds as
corporate pension trusts, public funds, and other institutional investment
vehicles. In 2001, STB started a joint venture with Resona Bank and Mitsui Trust
Holdings, two other major trust institutions in Japan, in securities processing
business by establishing Japan Trustee Services Bank, Ltd. ('JTSB'). JTSB has
been successful in providing efficient, value-added, customer-focused services
to achieve trust assets of over JPY156 trillion as at end September 2006. STB's
strength in real estate business rests not only in the brokerage business but
also in the rapidly developing securitization and real estate investment
management businesses. For further information, please visit our website
www.sumitomotrust.co.jp/IR/company/index_en.html.

Forward-looking statements
This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section
27A of the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to certain of the
Group's plans and its current goals and expectations relating to its future
financial condition and performance. These forward-looking statements can be
identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current
facts. Forward-looking statements sometimes use words such as 'aim',
'anticipate', 'target', 'expect', 'estimate', 'intend', 'plan', 'goal',
'believe', or other words of similar meaning. Examples of forward-looking
statements include, among others, statements regarding the Group's future
financial position, income growth, impairment charges, business strategy,
projected levels of growth in the banking and financial markets, projected
costs, estimates of capital expenditures, and plans and objectives for future
operations.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because
they relate to future events and circumstances, including, but not limited to,
the further development of standards and interpretations under International
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) applicable to past, current and future
periods, evolving practices with regard to the interpretation and application of
standards under IFRS, as well as UK domestic and global economic and business
conditions, market related risks such as changes in interest rates and exchange
rates, the policies and actions of governmental and regulatory authorities,
changes in legislation, progress in the integration of Absa into the Group's
business and the achievement of synergy targets related to Absa, the outcome of
pending and future litigation, the success of future acquisitions and other
strategic transactions and the impact of competition-a number of which factors
are beyond the Group's control. As a result, the Group's actual future results
may differ materially from the plans, goals, and expectations set forth in the
Group's forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements made by or on
behalf of Barclays speak only as of the date they are made. Barclays does not
undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect any changes in
Barclays expectations with regard thereto or any changes in events, conditions
or circumstances on which any such statement is based. The reader should,
however, consult any additional disclosures that Barclays has made or may make
in documents it has filed or may file with the SEC.



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