Holding in Company

Oxford Instruments PLC
21 November 2000

 
The Company has been notified today pursuant to the Companies Act 1985 that
Fidelity International Limited (FIL) parent holding company for various
direct and indirect subsidiaries including Fidelity Investment Services
(FISL) and Fidelity Pension Management (FPM), investment manager for various
non-US investment companies and institutional clients have discretion to
exercise voting rights in respect of 5,640,097 ordinary shares of 5p each in
Oxford Instruments plc, representing 11.79% of the issued share capital. Mr
Edward C Johnson 3rd of 82 Devonshire Street, Boston as a principal
shareholder of FIL is also deemed to have a notifiable interest. 
 
The above includes interest held on behalf of authorised unit trust schemes
in the UK, notwithstanding the exemption from reporting pursuant to Section
209(1) (e) of the Companies Act 1985. 
 
The shares are registered as follows: 

                                                                              
  No. of Shares Held    Management Company    Nominee/Registered Name     
            1,520,700   FISL                  Clydesdale Bank (Head Office)   
                                              Nominees Ltd                    
              975,700   FPM                   Bankers Trust                   
            1,334,715   FPM                   Chase Nominees Ltd              
               94,380   FPM                   MSS Nominees Ltd                
              397,402   FIL                   Nortrust Nominees Ltd           
              191,000   FIL                   BT Globenet Nominees Ltd        
              468,900   FIL                   Chase Nominees Ltd              
              119,300   FIL                   Clydesdale Bank (Head Office)   
                                              Nominees Ltd                    
              538,000   FIL                   RBS Trust Bank                  
            5,640,097