AGM Statement

Smith WH PLC
02 February 2006


                                                                 



                            WH SMITH PLC ('WHSmith')
                                        
                                        
              Annual General Meeting - Proxy Votes and Poll Result
                                        
              Appointment of New Chairman of WHSmith Pension Trust
                                        
                        Interim Results 2006 Date Change
                                        
                                        

At the AGM of WH Smith PLC held today at 11.30am, the following levels of proxy
appointments and associated voting instructions were received prior to the
meeting. All of the resolutions were carried on a show of hands.

  Resolution      Proxy Votes For the      Proxy Votes Against the    Abstentions
      Number               Resolution                   Resolution
           1              113,638,940                      319,620      54,617
           2              111,533,834                    2,449,203      30,140
           3              113,361,289                      410,802     241,086
           4              113,875,367                      122,641      15,169
           5              113,869,428                      127,815      15,934
           6              113,842,785                      155,968      14,424
           7              111,827,540                    1,306,500     879,137

           8              108,092,781                    5,811,893     108,503
           9              108,105,098                    5,796,541     111,538
          10              108,492,750                    5,408,258     112,169
          11              109,935,656                    3,690,563     386,958
          12              110,857,504                    3,141,370      14,303
          13              109,001,052                    4,980,193      31,932
          14              113,921,178                       22,726      69,273
          15              112,912,622                      592,905     507,650
          16              112,847,175                      318,548     847,454
          17              113,695,011                       86,221     231,945


Notes


1. Any proxy appointments which gave discretion to the Chairman have been
included in the 'for' total.


2. The proxy votes shown reflect the position as at 11.30am on Tuesday 31
January 2006, being 48 hours before the time of the meeting and conforming to
Regulation 41 of the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001. Voting
instructions can be changed at any time prior to a poll being demanded, and a
shareholder having lodged a proxy is still entitled to attend the meeting and
vote their shares themselves as they see fit.



Appointment of New Chairman of WHSmith Pension Trust


Following his appointment as Chairman of Syngenta AG, based in Zurich, Martin
Taylor is retiring from the position of Chairman of the WHSmith Pension Trust
with effect from 1 April 2006. The Company has appointed Jeremy Stone to succeed
Martin Taylor as Chairman of the WHSmith Pension Trust.


Robert Walker, Chairman of WH Smith PLC said: 'On behalf of the Company and our
pensioners I would like to thank Martin for his strong leadership and invaluable
contribution in chairing the Pension Trust over the past seven years.


'We are delighted Jeremy has agreed to become Chairman of the Pension Trust. As
an independent trustee he has been instrumental in delivering the successful
changes we have made to the funding arrangements.'


Interim Results 2006 Date Change


WH Smith PLC will announce its Interim Results 2006 on Wednesday, 12 April 2006
(and not on Thursday, 13 April 2006, as announced on 24 January 2006).


                                     -Ends-


Enquiries:


WH Smith PLC

Louise Evans   Media Relations     020 7851 8850
Mark Boyle     Investor Relations  020 7851 8820


Brunswick

Tom Buchanan                       020 7404 5959
Pam Small



Notes to Editors:


Jeremy Stone was appointed as an independent trustee of the WHSmith Pension
Trust in July 2002. He has extensive experience of investment banking and is
currently a Managing Director of NM Rothschild & Sons. Prior to this Jeremy was
Group Finance Director of Lazard Brothers & Co. Ltd.




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