DEALINGS BY CONNECTED EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADERS
      WITHOUT RECOGNISED INTERMEDIARY STATUS, OR WITH RI STATUS
            BUT NOT DEALING IN A CLIENT-SERVING CAPACITY
                 (Rule 38.5(b) of the Takeover Code)


1.         KEY INFORMATION


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Name of exempt principal trader                | HSBC Bank Plc    |
|------------------------------------------------+------------------|
| Company dealt in                               | BHP Billiton Plc |
|------------------------------------------------+------------------|
| Class of relevant security to which the        | ADR's            |
| dealings being disclosed relate (Note 1)       |                  |
|------------------------------------------------+------------------|
| Date of dealing                                | 19th Aug 2008    |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+



2.         INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE

(a)        Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the
class of relevant security dealt in (Note 2)


+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|               |           Long           |              Short              |
|               |                          |                                 |
|---------------+--------------------------+---------------------------------|
|               |Number                    |Number                           |
|               |                (%)       |                 (%)             |
|---------------+--------------------------+---------------------------------|
|(1) Relevant   |0                         |20,000                           |
|securities     |                          |                                 |
|               |                          |                                 |
|---------------+--------------------------+---------------------------------|
|(2) Derivatives|                          |                                 |
|(other than    |                          |                                 |
|options)       |                          |                                 |
|               |                          |                                 |
|---------------+--------------------------+---------------------------------|
|(3) Options and|                          |                                 |
|agreements to  |                          |                                 |
|purchase/sell  |                          |                                 |
|               |                          |                                 |
|---------------+--------------------------+---------------------------------|
|Total          |0                         |20,000                           |
|               |                          |                                 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------+


(b)        Interests and short positions in relevant securities of
the company, other than the class dealt in (Note 2)


+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Class of       |            Long            |            Short            |
|relevant       |                            |                             |
|security:      |                            |                             |
|               |                            |                             |
|---------------+----------------------------+-----------------------------|
|               |Number                      |Number                       |
|               |              (%)           |                      (%)    |
|---------------+----------------------------+-----------------------------|
|(1) Relevant   |                            |                             |
|securities     |                            |                             |
|               |                            |                             |
|---------------+----------------------------+-----------------------------|
|(2) Derivatives|                            |                             |
|(other than    |                            |                             |
|options)       |                            |                             |
|               |                            |                             |
|---------------+----------------------------+-----------------------------|
|(3) Options and|                            |                             |
|agreements to  |                            |                             |
|purchase/sell  |                            |                             |
|               |                            |                             |
|---------------+----------------------------+-----------------------------|
|Total          |                            |                             |
|               |                            |                             |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+


(c)                Rights to subscribe (Note 2)


+---------------------------------------+
| Class of relevant security: | Details |
|                             |         |
|-----------------------------+---------|
|                             |         |
+---------------------------------------+


3.         DEALINGS (Note 3)

(a)        Purchases and sales


+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Purchase/sale | Number of securities | Price per unit (Note 4) |
|               |                      |                         |
|---------------+----------------------+-------------------------|
| Sale          | 10,000               | 58.4461 USD             |
|               |                      |                         |
|---------------+----------------------+-------------------------|
|               |                      |                         |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+



(b)        Derivatives transactions (other than options)


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Product  | Long/short (Note | Number of securities   | Price per  |
| name,    | 5)               | (Note 6)               | unit (Note |
| e.g. CFD |                  |                        | 4)         |
|----------+------------------+------------------------+------------|
|          |                  |                        |            |
|          |                  |                        |            |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+




(c)        Options transactions in respect of existing securities
(i)         Writing, selling, purchasing or varying


+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Product  |Writing,    |Number of          |Exercise|Type, e.g.|Expiry|Option money  |
|name,    |selling,    |securities to which|price   |American, |date  |paid/received |
|e.g. call|purchasing, |the option relates |        |European  |      |per unit (Note|
|option   |varying etc.|(Note 6)           |        |etc.      |      |4)            |
|         |            |                   |        |          |      |              |
|---------+------------+-------------------+--------+----------+------+--------------|
|         |            |                   |        |          |      |              |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+



(ii)        Exercising


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Product name, e.g. | Number of securities | Exercise price per    |
| call option        |                      | unit (Note 4)         |
|                    |                      |                       |
|--------------------+----------------------+-----------------------|
|                    |                      |                       |
|                    |                      |                       |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+


(d)        Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 3)


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Nature of transaction | Details | Price per unit (if applicable)  |
| (Note 7)              |         | (Note 4)                        |
|                       |         |                                 |
|-----------------------+---------+---------------------------------|
|                       |         |                                 |
|                       |         |                                 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+













4.         OTHER INFORMATION

Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or
derivatives



+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding       |
| between the person disclosing and any other person relating to    |
| the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option     |
| referred to on this form or relating to the voting rights or      |
| future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to      |
| which any derivative referred to on this form is referenced.  If  |
| none, this should be stated.                                      |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                   |
|                                                                   |
|                                                                   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+



Is a Supplemental Form 38.5(b) attached? (Note
8)                                                    NO



+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Date of disclosure                           | 20th Aug  2008    |
|----------------------------------------------+-------------------|
| Contact name                                 | Frances Davies    |
|----------------------------------------------+-------------------|
| Telephone number                             | 0207 991 6661     |
|----------------------------------------------+-------------------|
| Name of offeree/offeror with which connected | BHP Billiton Plc  |
|----------------------------------------------+-------------------|
| Nature of connection (Note 9)                | Connected Advisor |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+



Notes

The Notes on Form 38.5(b) can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's
website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk

---END OF MESSAGE---

HSBC Bank Plc

http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/

Stock Identifier: XLON.


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