Holding(s) in Company

WH Smith PLC
26 March 2007

TR-1(i): NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

 

(1). Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which
voting rights are attached (ii):


WH Smith plc

 

2. Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):
 

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights:                               ( X )
 

An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result 
in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are 
attached:                                                                  (   )


An event changing the breakdown of voting rights:                          (   )

                                                                           
Other (please specify) :                                                   (   )


.................

 

3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation (iii):


Silchester International Investors Limited

 

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.) (iv):


Silchester International Investors International Value Equity Trust

Silchester International Investors International Value Equity Group Trust

Silchester International Investors Tobacco Free International Value Equity Trust

The Calleva Trust
 

5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached
if different) (v):


23rd March 2007

 

6. Date on which issuer notified:


26th March 2007

 

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:


8%

 

8. Notified details:


N/A

 


A: Voting rights attached to shares

 
Class/type of shares            Situation previous to  
if possible using the           the Triggering         
ISIN CODE                       transaction (vi)       
                       Number of shares       Number of voting Rights 
                                              (viii)                  
                                                                      
GB00B17WCM17           16,317,897             16,317,897
                                                                      

 

                     Resulting situation after the triggering transaction (vii)

 
Class/type of shares Number of shares  Number of voting rights    % of voting rights  
if possible using                      (ix)                                           
the ISIN CODE                                                                         
                     Direct            Direct (x) Indirect (xi)   Direct    Indirect  
                                                                                      
GB00B17WCM17         14,404,570        14,404,570                 7.87%
                                                                                      

 

B: Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction (xii)

 
Type of     Expiration Date  Exercise/Conversion Number of voting     % of voting     
financial   (xiii)           Period/ Date (xiv)  rights that may be   rights          
instrument                                       acquired if the                      
                                                 instrument is                        
                                                 exercised/                           
                                                 converted.                           
                                                                                      
N/A         N/A              N/A                 N/A                  N/A

 

 

Total (A+B)
Number of voting rights       % of voting rights 

14,404,570                    7.87%
                                        
                                        

 

 

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the
financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable (xv):


N/A

 


Proxy Voting:

 
10. Name of the proxy holder:


Silchester International Investors Limited

 

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:


N/A

 

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:


N/A

 

13. Additional information:


Silchester International Investors Ltd ('Silchester') acts as investment manager
for the clients detailed in Question 4 above (our 'Clients').  In acting for our
Clients, Silchester are given full discretion over their investments and are 
empowered to vote on their behalf.  However, we do not act as our Clients' 
custodian and therefore shares are not held in our name but in the name of each
Client's custodian bank.

 

14. Contact name:


Timothy Linehan, Compliance Officer

 

15. Contact telephone number:


0207 518 7125

 

 

Annex Notification Of Major Interests In Shares (XVI)

 

A: Identity of the person or legal entity subject to the notification obligation

 

Full name (including legal form for legal entities):

Silchester International Investors Limited

 

Contact address (registered office for legal entities):

Time & Life Building
1 Bruton Street, 5th Floor
London W1J 6TL

 

Phone number:

0207 518 7125

 

Other useful information (at least legal representative for legal persons):

Attn: Timothy Linehan, Compliance Officer

 

B: Identity of the notifier, if applicable (xvii)

 

Full name:

Silchester International Investors Limited

 

Contact address:

Time & Life Building
1 Bruton Street, 5th Floor
London W1J 6TL

 

Phone number:

0207 518 7125

 

Other useful information (e.g. functional relationship with the person or legal
entity subject to the notification obligation):

Attn: Timothy Linehan, Compliance Officer

 

C: Additional information :

.................






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