RNS Number:9065W
United Kingdom
9 January 2001

LETTER TO:  COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OFFICE

United Kingdom                                      08 Jan

US$ 2,000,000,000 FLOATING RATE NOTES due 2001  ISIN XS0069824331

As agent bank we advise that the rate set for interest period 10 January 2001 to
09 April 2001 (90/360) was     5.36250 per cent per annum.

Bid quotation to leading Banks for three month Eurodollar Deposits in London at
11.00 am - as obtained from:

     Union Bank of Switzerland                         5.48000
                                                      
     National Westminster Bank                         5.48000

     Barclays Bank Plc                                 5.48000
                                                   
     Midland Bank                                      5.49000

     Morgan Guaranty Trust Co of New York              5.50000

     Deutsche Bank AG                                  5.50500

                                                       --------
(Arithmetic Mean Rate rounded up to nearest 0.00001%)  5.48750
                                                       --------
Less 0.125%                                            5.362500 


Amount per denomination/coupon no - 18

US $ 1,000      =       13.41 x 10,000 =  *   134,100.00

US $ 10,000     =      134.06 x 10,000 =    1,340,600.00

US $ 100,000    =     1340.63 x  1,000 =    1,340,630.00

US $ 1,000,000  =    13406.25 x  1,790 =   23,997,187.50

Total Payable on 10 April 2001         =   26,812,517.50

* number of definitives at that denomination.

From:  Custodial Services Group (Bank of England)