Holding in Company

Smiths Group PLC
18 December 2000


Schedule 10 - Notification of Major Interests in Shares

1   Name of company:
Smiths Group plc

2   Name of shareholder having a major interest:
The Capital Group Companies, Inc.

3   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial
interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that
person's spouse or children under the age of 18:
Notification by The Capital Group Companies, Inc. on behalf of its affiliates,
including Capital Guardian Trust Company, Capital International Limited,
Capital International S.A., Capital International, Inc. and Capital Research
and Management Company, in respect of funds managed on behalf of investment
clients.

4   Name of registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them:
Shareholder                                                  Shares

State Street Nominees Limited                               3214079
Bank of New York Nominees Limited                           1047710
Chase Nominees Limited                                     23143342
BT Globenet Nominees Limited                                  13846
Midland Bank plc                                            4856040
Bankers Trust                                               5404860
Barclays Bank                                                470810
Citibank London                                              444820
Nortrust Nominees Limited                                   3745807
Royal Bank of Scotland                                       233588
Citibank NA, Toronto                                          49680
ROY Nominees Limited                                           1000
Morgan Guaranty                                               14444
Vidacos Nominees Limited                                      67965
Citibank                                                       8004
Mellon Bank NA                                                43470
Morgan Stanley                                                14582
Lloyds Bank                                                   46092

5   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired:
Not disclosed

6   Percentage of issued class:
N/A

7   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed:
Not disclosed

8   Percentage of issued class:
N/A

9   Class of security:
Ordinary shares of 25p

10  Date of transaction:
N/A

11  Date company informed:
18 December 2000

12  Total holding following this notification:
42820139 shares

13  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification:
7.77%

14  Contact name for queries:
Neil Burdett

15 Contact telephone number:
020 8457 8229

16  Name of company official responsible for making notification:
Neil Burdett

17  Date of notification:
14 December 2000


Additional Information: