Holding(s) in Company

Oxford Instruments PLC
17 January 2002


The Manager
Company Announcements Office
Primary Markets Division
The International Stock Exchange
P.O. Box 119

London EC2N 1HP

     
17 January 2002

Our ref statutor/3%int/fidinv.doc


Dear Sir

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 a notifiable interest in
our Company as follows:

    No. of Shares Held      Management Company       Nominee/Registered Name

            1,520,700       FISL                     Chase Nominees Ltd

            1,126,300       FPM                      Bankers Trust

            1,160,515       FPM                      Chase Nominees Ltd

               78,980       FPM                      MSS Nominees Ltd

              557,232       FIL                      Northern Trust

              188,900       FIL                      BT Globenet Nominees Ltd

              588,200       FIL                      Chase Nominees Ltd

              489,200       FIL                      RBS Trust Bank

            5,710,027

The notifiable interests also comprise the notifiable interest of Mr Edward C
Johnson 3d, 82 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA 02109. A principal shareholder of
Fidelity International Limited.

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) (h) of the Companies Act 1985.

Yours faithfully



Della Gorham (Mrs)

Assistant Company Secretary