Holding in Company

British American Tobacco PLC
15 March 2001

                                 SCHEDULE 10

                  NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company

BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO P.L.C.

2) Name of shareholder having a major interest

BRANDES INVESTMENT PARTNERS LP

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

NON-BENEFICIAL

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

NOT DISCLOSED - SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired

NOT DISCLOSED

6) Percentage of issued class



7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed



8) Percentage of issued class



9) Class of security



10) Date of transaction

5 MARCH 2001

11) Date company informed

15 MARCH 2001

12) Total holding following this notification

157,192,340 ORDINARY SHARES (SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION)


13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

7.2%

14) Any additional information

'(iii) the registered holders of all the Relevant Shares in which Brandes has
an interest for purposes of the Act are approximately 70 custodian banks
unaffiliated with Brandes.'

 B. ITEM 12

The total holding of 157,192,340 Ordinary Shares comprises 80,192,956 Ordinary
Shares and 38,499,692 ADRs represented by 76,999,384 Ordinary Shares.

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

G C W CUNNINGTON 020 7845 1925

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

G C W CUNNINGTON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY


17) Date of notification ....................15 MARCH 2001.....