News Releases

Barclays launches Premier Fixed Income Fund in Singapore

Potential returns of 7% p.a. of the net asset value

Singapore – Barclays, one of the world’s major financial institutions and a leading provider of retail structured products in Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong, has launched the Premier Fixed Income Fund in Singapore, providing retail investors with potential returns of 7% per annum of the net asset value of the Fund.

The Fund invests in global bond funds, emerging market bond funds and high yield bond funds. Bond funds are mutual funds investing in fixed income instruments. Bond funds offer diversification of portfolio risk given their relatively low correlation to asset classes such as equities and commodities. Comparatively, bond funds are also less volatile.

The Fund also provides potential exposure to inflation indices and/or inflation-linked bond indices via swaps. Inflation-linked bonds and indices can provide investors with protection against inflation risk, and these swaps may therefore enhance the Fund’s performance.

Initially, the Fund is expected to have inflation exposure to the Barclays Euro, Japan, UK, US Government Inflation Linked Index, and the Barclays Capital Emerging Markets Global Inflation-Linked Bond – Ex Columbia Tradable Index.

Commenting on the launch of the Fund, Yong Sheng Tan, Director of Investor Solutions at Barclays Capital in Singapore said, "This Fund offers investors relatively attractive returns and the ability to potentially protect against inflation. With Singapore’s consumer price index for the first two months of 2008 having increased by 6.6% compared with the same period last year, inflation is a real concern for investors."

The initial offer period of the Fund is from 10 April 2008 to 2 May 2008, with an initial issue price of SGD1.00. The minimum initial investment is SGD1,000, with subsequent increments of SGD100. The Fund will be distributed in Singapore by UOB.

Barclays Capital is a recognised global leader in structured products and derivatives, having been named in the Risk magazine awards Structured Products House of the Year 2007, Inflation Derivatives House of the Year in 2006 & 2007, and Currency and Commodities Derivatives House of the Year in 2006.

Regionally, Barclays Capital was named FX and Commodities House of the Year 2007 in FinanceAsia’s Structured Products Awards, Structured Products House of the Year, Asia 2007 by Structured Products magazine, Currency Derivatives House of the Year 2006 by AsiaRisk magazine, and in The Asset Asian Awards won Best Currency Derivatives House & Best Commodity-Linked Structured Product in 2006.

-ENDS-

For further information please contact:

Jonathan Williams, Barclays Capital Communications Tel: +65 6308 3490

Notes to editors:

About Barclays Bank PLC

Barclays is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services, with an extensive international presence in Europe, the USA, Africa and Asia. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 50 countries and employs 135,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for over 27 million customers and clients worldwide.

For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.barclays.com.

About Barclays Capital

Barclays Capital is the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC which has an AA long-term credit rating and a balance sheet of over £1.2 trillion. With a distinctive business model, Barclays Capital provides large corporate, government and institutional clients with solutions to their financing and risk management needs. Barclays Capital has offices in 29 countries, employs over 16,200 people and has the global reach and distribution power to meet the needs of issuers and investors worldwide.

For further information about Barclays Capital, please visit our website www.barclayscapital.com.

Barclays Capital - the investment banking division of Barclays Bank PLC. Registered in England 1026167. Registered office 1 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HP. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and a member of the London Stock Exchange.