Holding(s) in Company

SCHEDULE 10

                    NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1)   Name of company
Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc

2)   Name of shareholder having a major interest
Barclays PLC

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
Barclays Global Investors Ltd        1,380,056 shares
Gerrard Ltd                          4,458,052 shares
Barclays Bank Trust Company Ltd      367,040 shares
Barclays Private Bank and Trust Ltd  2,452 shares
Barclays Life Assurance Co Ltd       112,620 shares


4)   Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the
     number of shares held by each of them
Barclays Trust Co   (various designations)          367,040 shares
BOISS Nominess Ltd A/c 4224361                      42,742 shares
CHASE Nominees Ltd (various designations)           90,182 shares
Gerrard Nominees Ltd A/c ER1                        107,685 shares
Greig Middleton Nominees Ltd (various designations) 681,795 shares
JP Morgan (BGI Custody) (various designations)      1,359,752 shares
R C Greig Nominees Ltd (various designations)       3,668,572 shares
Reflex Nominees Ltd                                 2,452 shares


5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired
Not disclosed

6)   Percentage of issued class
N/A

7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
Not disclosed

8)   Percentage of issued class
N/A

9)   Class of security
Ordinary Shares of 1p

10)  Date of transaction
Not disclosed

11)  Date company informed
24 August 2005

12)  Total holding following this notification
6,320,220

13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
6.40%

14)  Any additional information
N/A

15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries
David Holland - 0131 220 0733

16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for
     making this notification
David Holland for Aberforth Partners, Secretaries.

Date of notification - 24 August 2005