HSBC Bank Plc; EPT Disclosure - Rio Tinto Plc

FORM 38.5(a)


           DEALINGS BY CONNECTED EXEMPT PRINCIPAL TRADERS
                 WITH RECOGNISED INTERMEDIARY STATUS
                DEALING IN A CLIENT-SERVING CAPACITY
                 (Rule 38.5(a) of the Takeover Code)

1.         KEY INFORMATION

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Name of exempt principal trader             | HSBC Bank Plc       |
|---------------------------------------------+---------------------|
| Company dealt in                            | Rio Tinto Plc       |
|---------------------------------------------+---------------------|
| Class of relevant security to which the     | Ordinary Shares     |
| dealings being disclosed relate (Note 1)    |                     |
|---------------------------------------------+---------------------|
| Date of dealing                             | 01st September 2008 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+


2.         DEALINGS (Note
2)

(a)        Purchases and sales


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Total number of           | Highest price paid | Lowest price     |
| securities                | (Note 3)           | paid             |
| purchased                 |                    | (Note 3)         |
|---------------------------+--------------------+------------------|
| 3,283                     | GBP 52.1           | GBP 49.973       |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+




+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Total number of         | Highest price      | Lowest price       |
| securities              | received           | received           |
| sold                    | (Note 3)           | (Note 3)           |
|-------------------------+--------------------+--------------------|
| 3,268                   | GBP 51.7897        | GBP 50.008         |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+


 (b)       Derivatives transactions (other than
options)


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Product  name, | Long/short | Number of           | Price per     |
| e.g. CFD       | (Note 4)   | securities          | unit          |
|                |            | (Note 5)            | (Note 3)      |
|----------------+------------+---------------------+---------------|
| CFD            | Long       | 12,699              | 50.11         |
|----------------+------------+---------------------+---------------|
|                |            |                     |               |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+


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


+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Product |Writing,   |Number of securities to|Exercise|Type, e.g.|Expiry|Option            |
|name,e.g|selling,   |which the option       |price   |American, |date  |moneypaid/received|
|call    |purchasing,|relates (Note 5)       |        |European  |      |per unit (Note 3) |
|option  |varying etc|                       |        |etc.      |      |                  |
|--------+-----------+-----------------------+--------+----------+------+------------------|
|        |           |                       |        |          |      |                  |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+




(ii)        Exercising


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Product name, e.g.    | Number of securities | Exercise price per |
| call option           |                      | unit               |
|                       |                      | (Note 3)           |
|-----------------------+----------------------+--------------------|
|                       |                      |                    |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+



3.         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.

..................................................

..................................................




+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Date of disclosure                          | 02nd September 2008 |
|---------------------------------------------+---------------------|
| Contact name                                | Mukesh Halai        |
|---------------------------------------------+---------------------|
| Telephone number                            | 0207 991 6187       |
|---------------------------------------------+---------------------|
| Name of offeree/offeror with which          | BHP Billiton Plc    |
| connected                                   |                     |
|---------------------------------------------+---------------------|
| Nature of connection (Note 6)               | Connected Advisor   |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+



Notes

The Notes on Form 38.5(a) 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.