Holding(s) in Company

TR-1: Notifications of Major Interests in Shares

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which
 voting rights are attached:
 Aberforth Smaller Companies Trust plc

2. Reason for the notification
(please place an X inside the appropriate bracket/s):

 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 notification obligation:
   Lloyds Banking Group plc

4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3) :
   N/A


5. Date of transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached if
   different):
   9 June 2010

6. Date on which issuer notified:
   11 June 2010

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:
   Below 5%

8. Notified Details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares

Class/type of        Situation previous to the triggering
shares if possible                transaction
use ISIN CODE
                   Number of shares    Number of voting
                                       rights
GB0000066554       5,553,003           5,553,003




                   Resulting situation after the triggering transaction
Class/type of      Number of       Number of voting       % of voting
shares if possible shares          rights                 rights
use ISIN CODE
                                   Direct     Indirect     Direct   Indirect

GB0000066554       554,184         554,184    3,485,145    0.573%   3.602%


B: Qualifying Financial Instruments
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of    Expiration Exercise/conversion No. of        % of
financial  date       on period/date      voting        voting
instrument                                rights        rights
                                          that may
                                          be acquired
                                          if the
                                          instrument
                                          exercised/
                                          converted


C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial
Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of    Exercise  Expiration    Exercise/conversion  No. of voting      % of voting
financial  price     date          on period/date       rights instrument  rights
instrument                                              refers to
                                                        the instrument



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

4,039,329                 4.175%

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


Proxy Voting:

10. Name of proxy holder:


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


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


13. Additional information:
    Percentages based on total voting rights of 96,747,000 Ordinary Shares

14. Contact name:
    David Holland, Aberforth Partners LLP, Secretaries

15. Contact telephone number:
    0131 220 0733