Issued by: BHP Billiton Plc

_________________________________________________________________________________

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_______________

FORM 6-K

REPORT OF FOREIGN ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Date of 13 December 2004

BHP Billiton Plc

Registration Number 3196209

Neathouse Place

London SW1V 1BH

United Kingdom

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F X   Form 40-F  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Yes     No X

If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 


Issued by: BHP Billiton Plc

To:
Company Announcements Office
The London Stock Exchange

Company Announcements Office
The Australian Stock Exchange

cc:
New York Stock Exchange
Swiss Stock Exchange
Johannesburg Stock Exchange
Deutsche Bank
UBS Zurich

 

Date: 13 December 2004

For Release: Immediately

Contact: Ines Watson + 44 (0)20 7802 4176

 

Notification of Major Interests in Shares

 

The following notification was received on 10 December 2004 by BHP Billiton Plc in a letter from Barclays PLC, dated 9 December 2004, relating to major interests in shares of BHP Billiton Plc as at 8 December 2004:

"I hereby inform you that as at 8 December 2004 Barclays PLC, through the legal entities listed on the attached schedule, has a notifiable interest in the capital of your Company of 3.03%.

Details of this interest, together with a breakdown between registered holders (as required by Section 202(3) of the Act), are enclosed.

 

LEGAL ENTITY REPORT

BHP BILLITON PLC

SEDOL : 0056650

As at 8 December 2004 Barclays PLC, through the legal entities listed below, had a notifiable interest in 74,720,461 USD0.50 representing 3.03% of the issued share capital of 2,468,147,002 units

Legal Entity

Holding

Percentage Held

Barclays Bank Trust Company Ltd

10,000

0.0004

Barclays Capital Securities Ltd

1,673,959

0.0678

Barclays Global Investors Japan Trust &

2,390,735

0.0969

Barclays Global Investors Australia Ltd

740,804

0.0300

Barclays Global Fund Advisors

4,799,397

0.1945

Barclays Life Assurance Co Ltd

3,048,799

0.1235

Barclays Global Investors Ltd

33,908,058

1.3738

Gerrard Ltd

341,691

0.138

Barclays Private Bank Ltd

4,789

0.0002

Barclays Global Investors, N.A.

26,680,767

1.0810

Barclays Global Investors Japan Ltd

1,121,462

0.0454

Group Holding

74,720,461

3.0273

 

 

REGISTERED HOLDERS REPORT

BHP BILLITON PLC

SEDOL: 0056650

As at 8 December 2004 Barclays PLC, through the registered holders listed below, had a notifiable interest in 74,720,461 USD0.50 representing 3.03% of the issued share capital of 2,468,147,002 units.

Registered Holder

Account Designation

Holding

Bank of Ireland

439,718

Barclays Capital Nominees Ltd

1,673,959

Barclays Global Investors

23,600

Barclays Trust Co DMC69

10,000

BNP Paribas

222,105

Chase Nominees Ltd

16376

1,462,952

Chase Nominees Ltd

20947

5,750,506

CIBC Mellon Global Securities

25,802

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

3,643,355

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

425,288

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

631,548

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

68,635

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

30,571

Registered Holder

Account Designation

Holding

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

3,414,496

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

865,395

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

45,462

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

588,793

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

27,982

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

3,502,637

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

1,153,335

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

12,258,982

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

24,512

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

658,213

Investors Bank and Trust Co.

33,314

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16331

814,397

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16338

160,262

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16341

1,453,780

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16341

156,241

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16342

300,858

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16344

46,418

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16345

76,181

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

16400

26,544,622

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

17011

40,662

JP Morgan (BGI Custody)

18408

149,978

JPMorgan Chase Bank

74,072

JPMorgan Chase Bank

71,277

JPMorgan Chase Bank

97,465

JPMorgan Chase Bank

26,510

JPMorgan Chase Bank

30,495

JPMorgan Chase Bank

166,542

JPMorgan Chase Bank

158,472

JPMorgan Chase Bank

340,424

JPMorgan Chase Bank

400,380

JPMorgan Chase Bank

65,662

JPMorgan Chase Bank

3,605

JPMorgan Chase Bank

3,268

JPMorgan Chase Bank

35,459

JPMorgan Chase Bank

306,518

JPMorgan Chase Bank

104,074

JPMorgan Chase Bank

299,582

JPMorgan Chase Bank

1,260,028

JPMorgan Chase Bank

265,441

JPMorgan Chase Bank

2,787

JPMorgan Chase Bank

20,491

JPMorgan Chase Bank

23,820

Master Trust Bank

33,268

Mellon Trust - Boston & SF

368,630

Mellon Trust - Boston & SF

184,328

Mellon Trust of New England

229,805

Mitsubishi Trust International

15,175

Mitsubishi Trust International

24,661

Northern Trust Bank - BGI SEPA

300,945

Northern Trust Bank - BGI SEPA

54,406

Northern Trust Bank - BGI SEPA

205,265

R C Greig Nominees Limited a/c

BL1

103,269

R C Greig Nominees Limited a/c

CM1

62,045

R C Greig Nominees Limited GP1

GP1

105,112

Registered Holder

Account Designation

Holding

R C Greig Nominees Limited SA1

SA1

71,265

State Street

41,659

State Street

3,561

State Street Boston

2,162,135

State Street Boston

212,015

Sumitomo TB

12,659

Wells Fargo Seattle - Wire Ban

44,538

Zeban Nominees Limited

4,789

Total

74,720,461

 

BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077
Registered in Australia
Registered Office: Level 27, 180 Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000
Telephone +61 1300 554 757 Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015

BHP Billiton Plc Registration number 3196209
Registered in England and Wales
Registered Office: Neathouse Place London SW1V 1BH United Kingdom
Telephone +44 20 7802 4000 Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111

                                                                    The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

BHP BILLITON Plc
/s/ KAREN WOOD
_____________________

Karen Wood
Title: Company Secretary
Date:
13 December 2004