**Exhibit 7.1**

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

|                                                                                              |   | **Year ended      31 March** |   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|------------------------------|--------|
| **Under IFRS**                                                                                    |   | **2007**                     |   | **2006** |   | **2005** |   |
|                                                                                              |   | **£m**                 |   | **£m** |   | **£m** |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                         |   |   |   |   |   |
| Financing      costs per IFRS Consolidated Income Statement                                       |   | 1,612                        |   | 1,120 |   | 880 |   |
| One third of rental expense                                                                       |   | 340                          |   | 323 |   | 303 |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
| **Fixed      charges (IFRS)(2)**                                                                  |   | **1,952**                    |   | **1,443** |   | **1,183** |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                         |   |   |   |   |   |
| (Loss)/profit      before taxation from continuing operations                                     |   | (2,383                       | )      | (14,853 | ) | 7,285 |   |
| Share      of profit in associated undertakings                                                   |   | (2,728                       | )      | (2,428 | ) | (1,980 | ) |
| Fixed      charges                                                                                |   | 1,952                        |   | 1,443 |   | 1,183 |   |
| Dividends      received from associated undertakings                                              |   | 791                          |   | 835 |   | 1,896 |   |
| Preference      dividend requirements of a consolidated subsidiary                                |   | (69                          | )      | (74 | ) | (71 | ) |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
| **Earnings      (IFRS)**                                                                          |   | **(2,437**                   | **)**  | **(15,077** | **)** | **8,313** |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
| **Ratio      of earnings to fixed charges**                                                       |   | **−**                  |   | **−** |   | **7.0** |   |
| **Deficiency      between fixed charges and earnings**                                            |   | **(4,389**                   | **)**  | **(16,520** | **)** | **−** |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                         |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                   |        |                              |        |  |  |  |  |
|                                                                                              |   |                         |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                              |   | **Year      ended 31 March** |   |
| **Under US GAAP(3)**                                                                              |   | **2007**                     |   | **2006** |   | **2005** |   |
|                                                                                              |   | **£m**                 |   | **£m** |   | **£m** |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                         |   |   |   |   |   |
| Fixed      charges (IFRS)                                                                         |   | 1,952                        |   | 1,443 |   | 1,183 |   |
| Effect on financing costs      due to proportionate consolidation of joint ventures               |   | 36                           |   | 32 |   | 50 |   |
| Effect      on payments under operating due to proportionate consolidation of joint      ventures |   | (70                          | )      | (74 | ) | (64 | ) |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
| **Fixed      charges (US GAAP)**                                                                  |   | **1,918**                    |   | **1,401** |   | **1,169** |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
|                                                                                              |   |                         |   |   |   |   |   |
| Earnings      (IFRS)                                                                              |   | (2,437                       | )      | (15,077 | ) | 8,313 |   |
| Effect on profit before      taxation due proportionate consolidation of joint ventures           |   | 2,820                        |   | 1,534 |   | (2,063 | ) |
| GAAP adjustment      for connection income                                                        |   | 5                            |   | 10 |   | 16 |   |
| GAAP adjustment for goodwill      and intangible assists                                          |   | (13,352                      | )      | (14,299 | ) | (15,534 | ) |
| GAAP adjustment      for impairment                                                               |   | 6,700                        |   | 15,377 |   | 475 |   |
| GAAP adjustment for other                                                                         |   | 1,261                        |   | (42 | ) | 99 |   |
| Dividends      received from joint ventures                                                       |   | 189                          |   | 65 |   | 121 |   |
| GAAP adjustment for fixed      charges                                                            |   | (34                          | )      | (42 | ) | (14 | ) |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
| **Earnings      (US GAAP)**                                                                       |   | **(4,848**                   | **)**  | **(12,474** | **)** | **(8,587** | **)** |
|                                                                                              |   |                              |   |  |   |  |   |
| **Ratio of earnings to      fixed charges**                                                       |   | **−**                  |   | **−** |   | **−** |   |
| **Deficiency between fixed      charges and earnings**                                            |   | **(6,766**                   | **)**  | **(13,875** | **)** | **(9,756** | **)** |
|                                                                                              |   |                         |   |   |   |   |   |

| Notes: |
|--------|

| 1. | All      of the financial information presented in this exhibit is unaudited |
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| 2. | Fixed      charges include (1) interest expensed (2) amortised premiums, discounts      and capitalised expenses related to indebtedness, (3) an estimate of the      interest within rental expense, and (4) preference security dividend requirements      of a consolidated subsidiary. These include the financings costs of subsidiaries      and joint ventures. |
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| 3. | For      discussion of significant differences between IFRS and US GAAP and a reconciliation      of net income between amounts calculated under IFRS and under US GAAP, see      note 38 to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. |
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