Re Directorate

Marks & Spencer PLC
22 May 2001


MARKS & SPENCER ANNOUNCES NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RETIREMENTS

Marks & Spencer today announces that three of its Non-Executive Directors -
Sir Michael Perry, Sir Ralph Robins and Sir David Sieff - will retire from the
Board on 11 July, the date of the Company's Annual General Meeting (AGM), when
they will not offer themselves for re-election.

  * Sir Michael Perry CBE, 67, was appointed to the Board in 1996. He is
    Chairman of Centrica plc, Shakespeare Globe Trust and the British
    Government's Senior Salaries Review Body. Sir Michael is Non-Executive
    Chairman of Dunlop Slazenger Group Ltd., Deputy Chairman of Bass plc,
    President of the Marketing Council, Anglo-Netherlands Society and the
    Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. He is a Member of the Supervisory
    Board of Royal Ahold.
  * Sir Ralph Robins, 68, was appointed in 1992. He is Chairman of
    Rolls-Royce plc, Non-Executive Chairman of Cable & Wireless plc, and
    Non-Executive Director of Standard Chartered plc. Sir Ralph is a Fellow of
    the Royal Academy of Engineering and Chairman of the Defence Industries
    Council.
  * Sir David Sieff, 62, became a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer
    in 1997, having previously been an Executive Director of the Company for
    25 years. Sir David is Chairman of the British Retail Consortium, the
    European Retail Round Table, FIBI (UK) plc, and Newbury Racecourse plc. He
    is a Member of the European Policy Centre (Brussels).

Chairman and Chief Executive Luc Vandevelde said,

'I would like to thank Michael, Ralph and David for their considerable
contributions over the years and wish them well for the future.'


For more information contact the Marks & Spencer Corporate Press Office on 020
7268 1919