Disposal

Oxford Instruments PLC
07 April 2008


April 7 2008


Oxford Instruments plc

Disposal of holding in Oxford Diffraction Limited.


Oxford Instruments plc ("Oxford Instruments"), the high technology tools and
systems company, today announces the disposal of its 23% holding in Oxford
Diffraction Limited ("Oxford Diffraction") to Varian, Inc. for a cash
consideration of £3.5m. An additional cash amount of up to £1.1m may be received
over the next three years conditional on the performance of Oxford Diffraction.
The cash will be used to reduce Oxford Instruments' debt.

Oxford Diffraction, based in Abingdon, near Oxford in the UK, was spun out of
Oxford Instruments plc in March 2001 in order to develop, manufacture and supply
analytical instrumentation for X-ray crystallography. As this technique was not
core to Oxford Instruments it was decided to develop it as an independent
company using outside capital and resources.

Oxford Instruments has treated its holding in Oxford Diffraction Limited as an
investment, the carrying value of which was £0.3m at 30 September 2007. This
disposal will result in a non-recurring profit, before costs, of approximately
£3.2m on the initial consideration of £3.5m.


Enquiries:

Oxford Instruments plc                 Tel: [phone]
Jonathan Flint, Chief Executive
Kevin Boyd, Group Finance Director

Hogarth Partnership                    Tel: [phone]
Rachel Hirst
Andrew Jaques
Ian Payne


Notes to Editors

Oxford Instruments designs, supplies and supports high-technology tools,
processes and solutions with a focus on physical science, bioscience,
environmental and industrial research and applications. It provides solutions
needed to advance fundamental nanoscience research and its transfer into
commercial nanotechnology applications. Innovation has been the driving force
behind Oxford Instruments' growth and success for over 40 years, and its
strategy is to effect the successful commercialisation of these ideas by
bringing them to market in a timely and customer-focused fashion.

The first technology business to be spun out from Oxford University over forty
years ago, Oxford Instruments is now a global company with over 1,300 staff
worldwide and a listing on the London Stock Exchange (OXIG). Its objective is to
be the leading provider of new generation tools and systems for the Physical
Science and Bioscience sectors.

This involves the combination of core technologies in areas such as low
temperature and high magnetic field environments, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance,
X-ray electron and optical based metrology, and advanced growth, deposition and
etching. Our products, expertise, and ideas address global issues such as
energy, environment, terrorism and health and are part of the next generation of
telecommunications, energy products, environmental measures, security devices,
drug discovery and medical advances.




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