Holding(s) in Company

Smith WH PLC
12 May 2005

                           SCHEDULE 10
 
             NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES


1)   NAME OF COMPANY

     WH SMITH PLC

2)   NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

     THE TRUSTEES OF BT PENSION SCHEME
     BRITEL FUND TRUSTEES LIMITED

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 LETTER BELOW DATED 12 MAY 2005

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

     SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 12 MAY 2005     

5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.

     N/A

6)   Percentage of issued Class


7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

     N/A

8)   Percentage of issued Class


9)   Class of security

     ORDINARY SHARES OF 2 13/81 PENCE EACH

10)  Date of transaction

     N/A

11)  Date company informed

     12 MAY 2005

12)  Total holding following this notification

     7,018,735
               
13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

     3.89%

14)  Any additional information



15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries

     A LAM [phone]

16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for 
     making this notification
                               I HOUGHTON
                               COMPANY SECRETARY
     Date of Notification      12 MAY 2005


FAX TO: W H SMITH PLC
DATED: MAY 12, 2005

                  DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL INTEREST IN SHARES

                     COMPANIES ACT 1985     SECTION 198

                                                  Issued Capital     180,574,386

As at May 11, 2005 the following entities had a material interest(s) in shares 
of:     W H SMITH PLC ORD 0.021605

THE TRUSTEES OF BT PENSION SCHEME
BRITEL FUND TRUSTEES LIMITED

Registered Holders:     BriTel Fund Nominees Ltd     377,824 shares      0.209 %
                        Chase Nominees Ltd*        7,916,335 shares      4.386 %

                        Less stock on loan         1,275,424 shares      0.707 %

(Previous Loan amount 855,454)

                        Total Holding:             7,018,735 shares      3.888 %


* Within Chase Nominees Ltd.

Hermes Focus Asset Management Limited, as general partners of various 
partnerships controls the following:

As partner in one or more of the partnerships

Registered Holder:      Chase Nominees Ltd         6,459,162 shares      3.578 %

Hermes Focus Asset Management Limited and Hermes SLP Limited are both
subsidiaries of Hermes Pensions Management Limited which is ultimately owned by
BriTel Fund Trustees Limited, a company controlled by the trustees of the BT
Pension Scheme.

Note: This notifiable interest arises because the Trustees of the BT Pensions
Scheme control Hermes Focus Asset Management Limited, Hermes Investment
Management Limited and Hermes SLP Limited and are partners in one or more of the
partnerships.

FROM: HERMES ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LIMITED


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