Holding(s) in Company

Merrill Lynch Br. SmallerCo Tst PLC
30 March 2006

                                  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:

British Empire Securities and General Trust 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:

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:

British Empire Securities and General Trust plc

5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:

57,873

6) Percentage of issued class:

0.11%

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

n/a

8) Percentage of issued class:

n/a

9) Class of security:

Ordinary shares of 25p each

10) Date of transaction:

23 March 2006

11) Date company informed:

29 March 2006

12) Total holding following this notification:

1,553,800

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

3.07%

14) Any additional information:

n/a

15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries:

Miss C Driscoll - 020 7743 2427

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

Miss C Driscoll
For Merrill Lynch Investment Managers Group Services Limited
Secretary

17) Date of notification:

30 March 2006


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