Holding(s) in Company

Oxford Instruments plc

Notification of Major Interest in Shares

Oxford Instruments plc ("the Company") was notified on 24 March 2011 that
Ameriprise Financial, Inc and its group's interest in the ordinary shares of
the Company has dropped below the threshold of 10%. Through intermediate
holding companies it controls the voting rights of Columbia Management
Investment Advisors, Columbia Wanger Asset Management, Threadneedle Management
Luxembourg S.A. and Threadneedle Asset Management Holdings Limited (which
itself controls the voting rights of Threadneedle Asset Management Limited,
Threadneedle International Limited and Threadneedle Pensions Limited) and has
an interest in 4,983,663 Ordinary Shares of 5p each, which represents 9.93% of
the issued share capital of the Company.

It has voting rights over 4,983,663 shares (of which 67,000 (0.13%) are direct
and 4,916,663 (9.8%) are indirect).

The shares to which this notification relates are registered as follows:

                                                                       No of   
                                                                       Shares  
                                                                               
State Street Nominees Limited        A/C XC7N                           145,108
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C ZLA05                          138,855
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C ZLA07                        1,450,000
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C 07197                           67,000
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C ZLA12                           49,000
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C ZLA14                           13,700
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C 34789                          122,000
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C 10496                        1,700,000
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C 10488                          333,000
                                                                               
Littledown Nominees Limited          A/C 10490                          965,000

24 March 2011

Susan Johnson-Brett

Company Secretary

01865 393324