Major Interest Notification

Provident Financial PLC
3 January 2001

                                 SCHEDULE 10

                  NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company

Provident Financial plc.

2) Name of shareholder having a major interest

The Prudential Assurance Company 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 the holding of the 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
Registered Holder                                          Holding
PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC                             11,132,964
PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PPL AC                             1,251,082



5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired

Not disclosed.

6) Percentage of issued class

Not disclosed.

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

29 December 2000.

11) Date company informed

3 January 2001.

12) Total holding following this notification

12,384,046


13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

4.97%

14) Any additional information

An announcement is also being made today in respect of the holding of
Prudential plc.

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Johanna Bradley          01274 731111 ext. 2310

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

Rosamond J Marshall Smith, Company Secretary

Date of notification: 3 January 2001