Holding(s) in Company

Provident Financial PLC
03 February 2003

                                  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 Group Plc



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 775245             1,202,837
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 130007                53,264
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 770286               100,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 357206             6,059,684
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 866203               347,800
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 904332                21,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 916681                13,800
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 754612               153,859
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Ltd A/c 360,509              246,275



5. Number of shares / amount of stock acquired


Not disclosed



6. Percentage of issued class


-



7. Number of shares / amount of stock disposed


-



8. Percentage of issued class


-



9. Class of security


Ordinary shares of 10 4/11p



10. Date of transaction


Not disclosed






11. Date company informed


31 January 2003



12. Total holding following this notification


8,198,519



13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification


3.22%



14. Any additional information


-



15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries


Caroline Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary

Tel:  [phone] ext. 2569



16. Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making
this notification


Caroline Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary



Date of notification


3 February 2003




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