Holding(s) in Company

Merrill Lynch Br. SmallerCo Tst PLC
07 November 2006

                                  SCHEDULE 10

                   NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company:

Merrill Lynch British Smaller Companies Trust plc

2) Name of shareholder having a major interest:

AXA Investment Managers UK Limited and its Group Companies

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:

In respect of 2 above

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

Registered Holder & Holding
HBSC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867396 - 14,957
HBSC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867372 - 25,906
HBSC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 776950 - 2,257
HBSC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867050 - 7,168
Smith & Williamson Nominees Limited a/c S66 - 71,150
BNY (OCS) Nominees Limited - 5,343
SLUAX (Sun Life Unit Assurance account X) - 124
SLPMX (Sun Life Pensions Management Ltd account X) - 867

5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:

n/a

6) Percentage of issued class:

n/a

7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed since last notification:

1,574,960

8) Percentage of issued class:

3.13%

9) Class of security:

Ordinary shares of 25p each

10) Date of transaction:

not known

11) Date company informed:

7 November 2006

12) Total holding following this notification:

127,772

13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification:

0.25% (below notifiable interest)

14) Any additional information:

n/a

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries:

Miss C Driscoll - 020 7743 2427

16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for
making this notification:

Miss C Driscoll
For BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited
Secretary

17) Date of notification:

7 November 2006


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