Holding in Company

Allen PLC
23 January 2001

Letter to Allen plc 

COMPANIES ACT 1985 (as amended)
Disclosure of Interests in Shares

In accordance with Part VI of the Companies Act 1985 (as amended)(the 'Act'), we
write to inform you that Prudential plc and certain of its subsidiary companies
have a notifiable interest in the issued share capital of your company as
detailed in the schedule below.

For the purposes of S210 of the Act, the address for those companies identified
in the schedule below is Laurence Pountney Hill London EC4R 0HH.

Letter from M&G Investment Management Limited for and on behalf of Prudential
plc


                    Notifiable Position Report for ALLEN ORD GBP0.05
                              as at 22 January 2001

Percentage holdings are calculated using an issued share capital of 41,535,835
ORD GBP0.05 shares

               Registered Holder                    Holding       %
Prudential plc                                      4,609,315    11.09 TOTAL
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD MGG           2,663,053        NOTIFIABLE
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD RIT             550,000        INTEREST
               PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC       1,396,262

M&G Group Limited                                   4,609,315   11.09
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD MGG           2,663,053
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD RIT             550,000
               PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC       1,396,262

M&G Investment
Management Limited                                  4,609,315   11.09
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD MGG           2,663,053
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD RIT             550,000
               PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC       1,396,262

M&G Limited                                         4,609,315   11.09
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD MGG           2,663,053
               CLYDESDALE BK NOMS LTD RIT             550,000
               PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC       1,396,262

The Prudential
Assurance Company
Limited                                             1,396,262    3.36
               PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC       1,396,262