Holding(s) in Company

Provident Financial PLC
15 March 2002

DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES



1) Name of company

Provident Financial plc

2) Name of shareholder having a major interest

CGNU plc/Morley Fund 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

holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

Notification in respect of shareholders 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
BNY Norwich Union Nominees Ltd                           1,583,587
BT Globenet Nominees Ltd                                 7,900
Chase GA Group Nominees Ltd                              3,587,756
CUIM Nominee Ltd                                         2,244,229



5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired

125,000

6) Percentage of issued class

0.05%

7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

-

8) Percentage of issued class

-

9) Class of security

Ordinary shares of 10 4/11 p

10) Date of transaction

13 March 2002

11) Date company informed

15 March 2002

12) Total holding following this notification

7,423,472

13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

3.02%

14) Any additional information

-

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Caroline Farbridge

01274 731111 ext.2569

16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for

making this notification

Caroline Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary



Date of notification: 15 March 2002



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