Holding in Company

Arc International PLC
11 January 2002


Letter to Company Announcements Office

NOTIFICATION OF INTEREST(S) IN SHARES UNDER SECTION 198 COMPANIES ACT 1985 
('THE ACT')

We have been advised on the 10th January 2002 by AXA Investment Managers UK Ltd 
that AXA S.A. of 25 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris and its subsidiaries are deemed
to have an interest in our shares as follows:

AXA S.A. knows that they were interested in 30,800,230 ordinary shares of 0.1p 
in the 283,465,840 share capital immediately after the time when the obligation 
of disclosure arose pursuant to section 198 of the Act. These share represent a 
material interest of 19,420,252 shares (6.85%) and a non-material interest of 
11,379,978 shares (4.01%).

The identity of each registered holder of the shares to which this notice 
relates as far as is known to AXA Investment Managers UK Ltd as at 09/01/02 is 
per the Appendix below.

From ARC International plc



                  DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST IN SHARES OF

                     Arc International plc Ord 0.1p

Total number of shares held as at 09/01/02 was 30,800,230 the breakdown of which
is set out below:

Name of the         Number of         Particulars of      Registered as
Company/Fund        Shares            Beneficial owners

AXA UK Investment
Co ICVC                  2,210        Trustees of AXA     HSBC Global Custody
UK Tracker Fund                       UK Investment Co    Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)                      ICVC                a/c 845315 
                                      UK Tracker Fund

AXA UK Investment        7,250        Trustees of AXA     HSBC Global Custody
Co ICVC                               UK Investment Co    Nominee (UK) Limited
Distribution Fund                     ICVC                a/c 845029
(Non-Beneficial)                      Distribution Fund

AXA UK Investment      148,700        Trustees of AXA UK  HSBC Global Custody
Co ICVC                               Investment Co ICVC  Nominee (UK) Limited
UK Growth Fund                        UK Growth Fund      a/c 845005
(Non-Beneficial)

AXA UK Investment                     Trustees of AXA UK  HSBC Global Custody
Co ICVC                               Investment Co ICVC  Nominee (UK) Limited
UK Smaller Companies                  UK Smaller          a/c 844359
Fund                                  Companies Fund
(Non-Beneficial)     9,780,000

AXA UK Investment      150,000        Trustees of AXA UK  HSBC Global Custody
Co ICVC                               Investment Co ICVC  Nominee (UK) Limited
UK Opportunities                      UK Opportunities    a/c 889598
Fund                                  Fund
(Non-Beneficial)

Pan Euro UK Secure                    Pan Euro UK Secure  Barclays Nominees Ltd
Growth                                Growth              a/c 6000BQ
(Non-Beneficial)       500,000

Sun Life Global                       Trustees of the     Bank Generale 
Management Ltd                        Sun Life Global     Luxembourg
UK Growth                             Management UK       a/c 750749
(Non-Beneficial)         5,602        Growth

Sun Life Global         75,000        Trustees of the     Bank Generale
Management Ltd                        Sun Life Global     Luxembourg
Distribution                          Management          a/c 750749
(Non-Beneficial)                      Distribution

AXA World Funds                       (Registration
British Equities                      details available
Fund                                  upon request)
(Non-Beneficial)        25,901

AXA World Funds                       (Registration
UK Balanced                           details available           
(Non-Beneficial)           247        upon request)

Sun Life Nominees                     Trustees of the     HSBC Global Custody
Ltd A/c 10                            Abb Kent Pension    Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)         2,587        Scheme              a/c 777043

Sun Life Nominees                     Trustees of the     HSBC Global Custody
Ltd A/c 18                            WABCO Automotive    Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)         1,269        UK Pensions         a/c 777086
                                      Scheme

Sun Life Nominees          544        Trustees of the     HSBC Global Custody
Ltd A/c 20                            Princes Pension     Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)                      Scheme              a/c 777094

Sun Life Nominees        1,384        Trustees of the     HSBC Global Custody
Ltd A/c 29                            Cobham Pension      Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)                      Plan                a/c 777167

Sun Life Nominees          198        Trustees of the     HSBC Global Custody
Ltd A/c 31                            Princes (1977)      Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)                      Pension Scheme      a/c 785078

Sun Life Nominees                     Eldridge Pope       HSBC Global Custody
Ltd A/c 32                            Pension Fund        Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)           857                            a/c 873426

Sun Life Pensions                     Sun Life Pensions   HSBC Global Custody
Management Ltd                        Management Ltd      Nominee (UK) Limited
(Beneficial)            40,000                            a/c 867815

Sun Life Pensions                     Sun Life Pensions   HSBC Global Custody
Management Ltd A/c X                  Management Ltd      Nominee (UK) Limited
(Beneficial)            31,358                            a/c 867396

Sun Life Pensions                     Sun Life Pensions   HSBC Global Custody
Management Ltd A/c X                  Management Ltd      Nominee (UK) Limited
(Beneficial)           700,000                            a/c 867530

Sun Life Pensions                     Sun Life Pensions   HSBC Global Custody
Management Ltd A/c X                  Management Ltd      Nominee (UK) Limited
(Beneficial)            98,259                            a/c 867372

Sun Life Assurance                    Sun Life Assurance  HSBC Global Custody
Society Plc                           Society Plc         Nominee (UK) Limited
(Beneficial)         7,258,584                            a/c 776934

Sun Life Unit                         Sun Life Unit       HSBC Global Custody
Assurance Ltd A/c X                   Assurance Ltd       Nominee (UK) Limited
(Beneficial)           300,000                            a/c 867268

Sun Life Pensions                     Sun Life Pensions   RBSTB nominees
Management Ltd                        Management Ltd      designation Sunpen
(Beneficial)            21,000

Sun Life                              Sun Life            Sun Life International
International (IOM)                   International (IOM) a/c SLI 11
Ltd                                   Ltd
(Beneficial)           750,000

AXA France                            (Registration details
(Non-Beneficial)       147,500        available upon
                                      request)

AXA Royale Belge                      (Registration details
(Non-Beneficial)       400,000        upon request)

AXA Sun Life plc                      AXA Sun Life plc    Axa Sun Life plc
(fmly Axa Equity                      (fmly Axa Equity &
& Law Life                            Law Life Assurance
Assurance Society                     Society plc)
plc)
(Beneficial)         9,921,051

AXA General Unit                      HSBC Global Custody  HSBC Global Custody
Trust                                 Nominee (UK) Limited Nominee (UK) Limited
(Non-Beneficial)        80,405        as Trustees of the   a/c 880868
                                      Trust

AXA Re UK                             AXA-Re Insurance     Axa Equity & Law
(Beneficial)           300,000        (UK) Ltd             Nominees Ltd
                                                           a/c AXARE

AXA UK Group                          AXA UK Group         Chase Nominees Ltd
Pension Scheme                        Pension Scheme       a/c 00994
(Non-Beneficial)        50,324

                                  Holding as % of Issued Capital

Total Beneficial    19,420,252             6.85
Interest
Total Non-Beneficial
Interest            11,379,978             4.01

         Total      30,800,230            10.87%