**Exhibit 7**

 

UNAUDITED COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES(1)

 
|       |                                                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
|------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
|       |                                                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
|       |                                                            | 2015       |       |       | 2014       |       |       | 2013       |       |       | 2012       |       |       | 2011       |       |
|       |                                                            | £m    |       |       | £m    |       |       | £m    |       |       | £m    |       |       | £m    |       |
|       |                                                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
|       | Financing costs per consolidated income statement(2)            | 1,736      |       |       | 1,554      |       |       | 1,596      |       |       | 1,768      |       |       | 359        |       |
|       | Financing costs – discontinued operations                  | -          |       |       | -          |       |       | 56         |       |       | 23         |       |       | 70         |       |
|       | One third of rental expense                                     | 768        |       |       | 718        |       |       | 601        |       |       | 585        |       |       | 629        |       |
|       | Interest capitalized                                            | 142        |       |       | 3          |       |       | 8          |       |       | 25         |       |       | 138        |       |
| ** ** | **Fixed charges**                                               | **2,646**  | ** ** | ** ** | **2,275**  | ** ** | ** ** | **2,261**  | ** ** | ** ** | **2,401**  | ** ** | ** ** | **1,196**  | ** ** |
|       |                                                            |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |       |
|       | Profit/(loss) before taxation from continuing   operations      | 1,095      |       |       | (5,270     | )          |       | (3,483     | )          |       | 4,144      |       |       | 5,057      |       |
|       | Share of profit in associates                                   | 63         |       |       | (278       | )          |       | (575       | )          |       | (1,129     | )          |       | (548       | )          |
|       | Fixed charges                                                   | 2,646      |       |       | 2,275      |       |       | 2,261      |       |       | 2,401      |       |       | 1,196      |       |
|       | Dividends received from associates                              | 583        |       |       | 4,897      |       |       | 5,539      |       |       | 4,916      |       |       | 1,424      |       |
|       | Preference dividend requirements of a consolidated   subsidiary | -          | ** ** | ** ** | **-**      | ** ** | ** ** | **-**      | ** ** | ** ** | **-**      |       |       | (89        | )          |
|       | Interest capitalized                                            | (142       | )          |       | (3         | )          |       | (8         | )          |       | (25        | )          |       | (138       | )          |
| ** ** | **Earnings**                                                    | **4,245**  | ** ** | ** ** | **1,621**  | ** ** | ** ** | **3,734**  | ** ** | ** ** | **10,307** | ** ** | ** ** | **6,902**  | ** ** |
| ** ** | **Ratio of earnings to fixed charges**                          | **1.6**    | ** ** | ** ** | **-**      | ** ** | ** ** | **1.7**    | ** ** | ** ** | **4.3**    | ** ** | ** ** | **5.8**    | ** ** |
| ** ** | **Deficiency between fixed charges and   earnings**             | **-**      | ** ** | ** ** | **654**    | ** ** | ** ** | **-**      | ** ** | ** ** | **-**      | ** ** | ** ** | **-**      | ** ** |
| ** ** | ** **                                                      | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** | ** ** |

** **

 

Notes:
| 1. | All of the financial information presented in this   exhibit is unaudited.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|----|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2. | Fixed charges include (1) interest expensed   (2) interest capitalized (3) amortised premiums, discounts and   capitalised expenses related to indebtedness, (4) an estimate of the   interest within rental expense, and (5) preference security dividend requirements   of a consolidated subsidiary. These include the financing costs of   subsidiaries. Fixed charges include foreign exchange losses arising from net   foreign exchange gains on certain intercompany loans of £526 million for the   year ended 31 March 2015 (2014: £21 million gain, 2013: £91 million   loss, 2012: £nil, 2011: £nil) and interest credit on settlement of tax issues   of £4 million for the year ended 31 March 2015 (2014: £15 million   credit, 2013: £91 million credit, 2012: £23 million expense, 2011: £826   million credit, 2010). |

 

----