Imasco Transaction Completed on Schedule

British American Tobacco PLC
1 February 2000


IMASCO TRANSACTION COMPLETED ON SCHEDULE

Imperial Tobacco Canada Limited ('Imperial Tobacco'), the successor
corporation to Imasco Limited ('Imasco'), announced today that the
capital reorganisation, which was overwhelmingly approved by the
shareholders of Imasco at the special meeting of shareholders held on
Friday, 28th January 2000, was successfully completed today.
Shareholders of Imasco are to receive C$41.60 for each of their Imasco
shares.  As a result of the capital reorganisation, all of the
outstanding shares of Imperial Tobacco are now held indirectly by
British American Tobacco plc.

As part of the transactions completed today, Imperial Tobacco tendered
its 98.2 per cent holding in CT Financial Services Inc. ('CTFS') to the
takeover bid made by The Toronto Dominion Bank.  The Offer for all of
the outstanding shares of CTFS at C$67 per share expired earlier today.

Imperial Tobacco's previously announced sale of Shoppers Drug Mart to an
investor group led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. is scheduled to
close later this week.  Imperial Tobacco's sale process for its Genstar
real estate operations is well underway.

Don Brown, the Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Tobacco, said:  'I am
pleased the shareholders of Imasco have shown such support for the
transaction and we look forward to bringing Imperial Tobacco into the
British American Tobacco group.'

Imperial Tobacco, of Montreal, is the largest tobacco enterprise in
Canada.  It holds approximately 70 per cent of the domestic tailor-made
cigarette market and employs some 2000 people.

ENQUIRIES:

British American Tobacco Press Office:  Tel.  [phone]

Fran Morrison, Brian O'Connell, Jody Humble

Investor Relations:  Tel.  [phone]

Ralph Edmondson, Denise Hart