Holding in Company

Smith WH PLC 11 June 2001 DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS 1) NAME OF COMPANY W H SMITH PLC 2) NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC. 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 SEE BELOW LETTER DATED 7 JUNE 2001 4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of shares held by each of them. SEE BELOW LETTER DATED 7 JUNE 2001 5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired. N/A 6) ( N/A %) of issued Class 7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed N/A 8) ( N/A %) of issued Class 9) Class of security ORDINARY SHARES OF 55 5/9 PENCE EACH 10) Date of transaction N/A 11) Date company informed 8 JUNE 2001 12) Total holding following this notification 12,075,270 13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification 4.84% 14) Any additional information 15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries AMANDA LAM (01793) 562489 16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making this notification Date of Notification .11 JUNE 2001................ Letter to W.H. Smith PLC dated 7 June 2001 S.198 Companies Act - Disclosure of Share Interests We are acting on behalf of Franklin Resources, Inc. and its affiliates, which includes Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC and Templeton Worldwide, Inc. and its affiliates. Franklin Resources, Inc. and its affiliates perform investment management and advisory services for clients on a global basis. We wish to advise you of interests in the share capital of your Company under management of Franklin Resources, Inc. and its affiliates on behalf of clients, as detailed in the schedule below. From Franklin Resources, Inc. SCHEDULE W.H. SMITH GROUP plc Outstanding Shares 249,144,811 Registered Holder No. of Shares % of Class Chase Nominees Ltd 10,687,875 4.2925% Goldman Sachs Secs Nominees 600,000 0.2410% Bankers Trust Company 144,900 0.0582% Bank of New York Nominees 29,950 0.0120% Citibank Nominees Ltd 18,240 0.0079% Northern Trust Company 55,707 0.0224% Royal Trust Corp of Canada 62,737 0.0252% London State Street Nominees Limited 317,161 0.1274% Clydesdale Bank PLC 158,700 0.0637% LONDON TOTAL 12,075,270 4.8498%

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WH Smith (SMWH)
UK 100

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