Notifiable Holding

British Empire Sec & Gen Tst PLC
3 April 2002



Schedule 10 - Notification of Major Interests in Shares

1   Name of company:
BRITISH EMPIRE SECURITIES AND GENERAL TRUST P.L.C.

2   Name of shareholder having a major interest:
AXA S.A.

3   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial
interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that
person's spouse or children under the age of 18:


4   Name of registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them:


5   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:


6   Percentage of issued class:


7   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed:
100,000

8   Percentage of issued class:
0.06%

9   Class of security:
Ordinary 10p shares

10  Date of transaction:
26 March 2002

11  Date company informed:
2 April 2002

12  Total holding following this notification:
23,544,146

13  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification:
13.93%

14  Contact name for queries:
Ruth Humphrey

15 Contact telephone number:
020 7463 6305

16  Name of company official responsible for making notification:
Aberdeen Asset Management PLC - Secretaries

17  Date of notification:
3 April 2002



Additional Information:
The shares are registered in the names of:

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited, a/c 845315
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited, a/c 867530
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited, a/c 776934
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited, a/c 867268
RBSTB nominees designation Sunpen



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