General Meeting Statement

Ashtead Group plc

31st March 2008

ASHTEAD GROUP PLC

                           General Meeting Statement                           

Ashtead Group plc held a General Meeting at 11.00 am on Monday 31st March 2008 in London.

The Board is pleased to confirm that the resolution placed before the meeting was carried 
on a show of hands by the members.

RESOLUTION

 1. Authorise the Company, for the purposes of section 166 of the Companies Act
    1985, to make market purchases of ordinary shares of the Company up to a
    maximum number of 26,902,642 ordinary shares, representing 5 per cent. of
    the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at 3 March, 2008.
   
The proxy votes were as follows:

FOR               AGAINST             ABSTENTIONS
276,365,968       4,112,875           86,941


Contacts:

Chris Cole Chairman 020 7299 5562

Geoff Drabble Chief executive 020 7726 9700

Brian Hudspith Maitland 020 7379 5151