Holding(s) in Company

Merrill Lynch Br. SmallerCo Tst PLC
20 May 2005

                                  SCHEDULE 10

                   NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company:

Merrill Lynch British Smaller Companies Trust plc

2) Name of shareholder having a major interest:

Prudential plc and certain of its subsidiary companies

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:

In respect of 2 above

4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the
number of shares held by each of them:

                             Registered Holder                  Holding

Prudential plc               PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC     2,404,755
                             PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PHL AC     1,095,169
                             PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PPL AC        80,000

The Prudential Assurance     PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC     2,404,755
Company Limited              PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PPL AC        80,000

5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:

not known

6) Percentage of issued class:

not known

7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed since last notification:

not known

8) Percentage of issued class:

not known

9) Class of security:

Ordinary shares of 25p each

10) Date of transaction:

not known

11) Date company informed:

20 May 2005

12) Total holding following this notification:

3,579,924

13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification:

7.08%

14) Any additional information:

N/A

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries:

Mrs M Hobbs- 020 7743 5374

16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for
making this notification:

Mrs M Hobbs
For Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Group Services Limited
Secretary

17) Date of notification:

20 May 2005


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