**Exhibit 12.2**

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I, Stephen Hester certify that:

| 1.     | I have reviewed this annual        report on Form 20-F of Abbey National plc; |
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| 2.     | Based on my knowledge, this        report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit        to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light        of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading        with respect to the period covered by this report; |
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| 3.     | Based on my knowledge, the        financial statements, and other financial information included in this        report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition,        results of operations and cash flows of the company as of, and for, the        periods presented in this report; |
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| 4.     | The company’s other        certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining        disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules        13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the company and have: |
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|   |   | (a)    | Designed such disclosure controls        and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to        be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information        relating to the company, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is        made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during        the period in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   |   | (b)    | Evaluated the effectiveness        of the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented        in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure        controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this        report based on such evaluation; and |
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|   |   | (c)    | Disclosed in this report any        change in the company’s internal control over financial reporting        that occurred during the period covered by the report, that has materially        affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the company’s        internal control over financial reporting; and |
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| 5.     | The company’s other        certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation        of internal control over financial reporting, to the company’s        auditors and the audit committee of the company’s board of directors        (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
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|   |   | (a)    | All significant deficiencies        and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control        over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect        the company’s ability to record, process, summarize and report        financial information; and |
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|   |   | (b) | Any fraud, whether or not        material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant        role in the company’s internal control over financial reporting. |
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| Date: 25/2/2004 | By:    | /s/ Stephen Hester                        |
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|                 |   | Chief Operating Officer                                                                                                                                      |

 

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