Result of AGM

Reed Elsevier PLC
28 April 2004

28 April 2004





                     ISSUED ON BEHALF OF REED ELSEVIER PLC

                     Results of Annual General Meeting 2004



Reed Elsevier PLC announces that at its Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday
28 April 2004, all resolutions put to the meeting were approved by votes on a
show of hands.



For information, the following represents the proxy position at the close of
books at 11.00 a.m. on Monday 26 April 2004.  The number of ordinary shares in
issue at that date was 1,271,880,228.


                                                         Votes For       Votes to be  Votes        Abstentions
                                                                         cast at      Against
                                                                         Chairman's
                                                                         discretion
Resolution 1a    Receipt of financial statements           808,561,382    3,845,693    5,748,993       26,414,649
Resolution 1b    Directors' Remuneration Report            719,466,069    3,863,470   77,546,084       43,694,094
Resolution 2     Declaration of final dividend             837,835,769    3,810,474      448,128        2,475,346
Resolution 3a    Re-appointment of auditors                821,356,026    3,857,757   10,458,105        8,897,829
Resolution 3b    Auditors' Remuneration                    830,755,900    3,873,634    7,390,532        2,550,091
                 Appointment of Directors:
Resolution 4a    G J A van de Aast                         836,206,040    4,004,454    1,742,584        2,617,079
Resolution 4b    M Tabaksblat                              830,543,985    4,003,604    1,979,998        8,042,570
Resolution 4c    R W H Stomberg                            828,030,444    4,002,240    4,498,494        8,038,979
Resolution 4d    Lord Sharman                              831,025,426    3,999,862    1,742,415        7,800,822
Resolution 5     Allotment of unissued shares              812,320,985    3,919,710   20,314,027        8,014,295
Resolution 6     Disapplication of pre-emption rights      829,922,209    4,035,201    7,835,803        2,776,944
Resolution 7     Authority to purchase own shares          837,831,552    3,939,200      185,499        2,613,906



Two copies of the resolutions passed as Special Business have been submitted to
the UK Listing Authority and will be available for inspection at the UK Listing
Authority's Document Viewing Facility.


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