Holding in Company

Provident Financial PLC
29 March 2001


                                 SCHEDULE 10

                  NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company
Provident Financial plc


2) Name of shareholder having a major interest
Legal & General Investment Management Limited


3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a
non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18
Notification in respect of shareholder named in 2 above.


4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the
number of shares held by each of them

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 775229                          50,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 886603                         474,598
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 775245                       1,250,837
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 754612                         113,859
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 360509                         134,875
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 770286                          59,332
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 357206                       5,172,753
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 866203                         188,000



5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired
-


6) Percentage of issued class
-


7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
4,906


8) Percentage of issued class
0.001


9) Class of security
Ordinary shares of 10 4/11p


10) Date of transaction
28 March 2001


11) Date company informed
29 March 2001


12) Total holding following this notification
7,444,254



13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
2.99


14) Any additional information
-


15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries
Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Company Secretary

Tel: [phone]


16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for
making this notification
Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Company Secretary


Date of notification 29 March 2001