FORM
8.1
DEALINGS BY OFFERORS, OFFEREE COMPANIES OR THEIR ASSOCIATES
FOR THEMSELVES OR FOR DISCRETIONARY CLIENTS
(Rules 8.1(a) and (b)(i) of the Takeover Code)
NB: THESE TRANSACTIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN ERROR. THE PANEL
EXECUTIVE HAS INFORMED HSBC BANK PLC ON AN EX PARTE BASIS THAT THESE
TRANSACTIONS HAVE NO CODE CONSEQUENCES
1. KEY INFORMATION
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Name of person dealing (Note 1) | HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) |
| | S.A. Hong Kong Branch |
|--------------------------------------+----------------------------|
| Company dealt in | Rio Tinto Plc ("RIO") |
|--------------------------------------+----------------------------|
| Class of relevant security to which | Ordinary Shares |
| the dealings being disclosed relate | |
| (Note 2) | |
|--------------------------------------+----------------------------|
| Date of dealing | 8-Apr-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 3)
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| | Long | Short |
| | | |
|---------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------------|
| |Number |Number |
| | (%) | (%) |
|---------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|(1) Relevant |650 shares | |
|securities | 0.0001% | |
| | | |
|---------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|(2) Derivatives| | |
|(other than | | |
|options) | | |
| | | |
|---------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|(3) Options and| | |
|agreements to | | |
|purchase/sell | | |
| | | |
|---------------+-----------------------------+------------------------------------------------|
|Total |650 | |
| |shares | |
| |0.0001% | |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
(b) Interests and short positions in relevant securities of
the company, other than the class dealt in (Note 3)
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|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 3)
+---------------------------------------+
| Class of relevant security: | Details |
| | |
|-----------------------------+---------|
| | |
+---------------------------------------+
3. DEALINGS (Note 4)
(a) Purchases and sales
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Purchase/sale | Number of | Price per unit (Note 5) |
| | securities | |
|---------------------+------------+--------------------------------|
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 251 | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 250 | was set) |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 352 | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 345 | was set) |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 2080 | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| Sale on 21-Feb-08 | 302 | was set) |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 776 | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 656 | was set) |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 4183 | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 404 | was set) |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 221 | GBP56.36 |
| Sale on 8-Apr-08 | 1028 | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| | | was set) |
| | | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| | | was set) |
| | | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| | | was set) |
| | | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| | | was set) |
| | | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| | | was set) |
| | | GBP59 (Limit Price at GBP59 |
| | | was set) |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Product | Long/short (Note | Number of securities | Price per |
| name, | 6) | (Note 7) | unit (Note |
| e.g. CFD | | | 5) |
|----------+------------------+------------------------+------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
(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 7) | |etc. | |5) |
| | | | | | | |
|---------+------------+-------------------+--------+----------+------+--------------|
| | | | | | | |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
(ii) Exercising
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Product name, e.g. | Number of securities | Exercise price per |
| call option | | unit (Note 5) |
|--------------------+----------------------+-----------------------|
| | | |
| | | |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
(d) Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Nature of transaction | Details | Price per unit (if applicable) |
| (Note 8) | | (Note 5) |
| | | |
|-----------------------+---------+---------------------------------|
| | | |
| | | |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
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 8 attached? (Note
9) YES/NO
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Date of disclosure | 29-Sep-2008 |
|-----------------------------+-------------------------------------|
| Contact name | Anne Wong / Stephen Leung |
|-----------------------------+-------------------------------------|
| Telephone number | 2899-7586 / 2899-6410 |
|-----------------------------+-------------------------------------|
| Name of offeree/offeror | Rio Tinto Plc ("RIO") and BHP |
| with which associated | Billiton Limited ("BHP") |
|-----------------------------+-------------------------------------|
| Specify category and nature | HSBC are joint financial adviser to |
| of associate status (Note | BHP Billiton Plc and BHP Billiton |
| 10) | Ltd in their offer for Rio Tinto |
| | Plc and Rio Tinto Ltd. BHP Billiton |
| | Ltd - ISIN - AU000000BHP4. |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Notes
The Notes on Form 8.1 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website
at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk
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