Holding(s) in Company

Holding(s) in Company 

    LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2003--

ARC International PLC ('the Company')

The Company received the following notification from HSBC Bank plc on
the 12 March 2003.

'Part VI Companies Act 1985 ('the Act')

We hereby notify you in accordance with Part VI Companies Act 1985
('the Act') that HSBC Bank plc, as at close of business on 10 March
2003, was interested in 11,597,082 ordinary shares of ARC
International plc ('the Shares'). Of these interests, 2,845,000 shares
were of a kind described in S.208(5) of the Act.

HSBC Holdings plc as HSBC Bank plc's parent company, were also
interested, by virtue of S.203 of the Act in all of the above
mentioned Shares.'


13 March 2003

   Short Name: Arc Intl PLC
   Category Code: HOL
   Sequence Number: 00002822
   Time of Receipt (offset from UTC): 20030313T161239+0000