Press Release

MARCH'S £1 MILLION PREMIUM BOND JACKPOT WINNING NUMBERS

Nearly 1.5 million other tax-free* prizes worth over £101m also awarded

Number 1 A lady living in Birmingham Bond number: 038QH992218 Bought in September 2002 Bond value: £1,000 Total holdings: £22,700

Number 2 A lady living in the West Midlands Bond number: 072DX730658 Bought in July 2003 Bond value: £5,000 Total holdings: £5,200

Celebrating Premium Bonds holders

The winners from Birmingham and the West Midlands both wish to keep their identities under wrap.

In Birmingham, over 300,000 people own Premium Bonds worth over £200 million.  There are 6,684 unclaimed prizes in the city, worth over £387,000.  This is the third time Birmingham has been the home of a Premium Bonds jackpot winner.

In the West Midlands, more than 770,000 people own Premium Bonds worth over £664 million.  There are 14,527 unclaimed prizes in the area, worth over £849,500.  This is the fourth time a jackpot winner has emerged in the West Midlands (excluding Birmingham).

In March's draw ERNIE gave away nearly one and a half million prizes worth more than £103 million.

Value and number of prizes awarded in March 2007

£1 million         2         
£100,000           17
£50,000 33
£25,000 67
£10,000 166
£5,000              335
£1,000              4,145
£500                 12,435
£100                 235,991
£50                   1,185,994

Prize value                  Number of prizes
£103,621,300                 1,439,185

Premium Bond Facts

The Premium Bonds prize fund rate is 3.60% tax-free*, equivalent to 6.00% for a higher rate taxpayer and 4.50% for a basic rate taxpayer.  The odds of winning are 24,000 to 1 and, with average luck, an investor with £30,000 in Premium Bonds can expect to win 15 tax-free* prizes a year - more than one a month.

23 million people have more than £34 billion invested in Premium Bonds.

Premium Bonds can be bought online at www.nsandi.com, by telephone on 0500 007 007 by post and over the counter at Post Office® branches.

Like all NS&I products, Premium Bonds offer investors 100% security, backed by HM Treasury, as well as the sense of fun that comes from winning tax-free* prizes.

Since the first Premium Bonds prize draw in 1957, over 149.75 million tax-free* prizes worth £9.5 billion have been given away.  Prizes range from £50 to £1 million.

There is currently £28 million in unclaimed prizes.  There is no time limit on claiming prizes.  Premium Bonds investors can check to see if they have won by logging on to www.nsandi.com and using the Premium Bonds prize checker.