Director Shareholding

Smith WH PLC
2 November 2000



WH Smith PLC (the 'Company')

WH Smith Employees' Share Trust 1999 (the 'Trust')

In accordance with Chapter 16 Paragraph 13 of the Listing Rules, notification is
hereby given that:

On 31 October and 1 November 2000 the Trustee of the above Trust, Mourant & Co
Trustees Limited, purchased a total of 532,014 Ordinary Shares of 55 5/9 pence
each ('Shares') at an average price of 397.77 pence per share. The Company was
notified of these transactions yesterday. As a result of this transaction the
Trust now holds 915,168 Shares (0.36% of the issued Class).

The Trust is a discretionary trust and was originally established for the
purpose of satisfying awards made under the WH Smith Group Share Award Scheme.
In future, it will also be used to satisfy options granted under the WH Smith
Executive Share Option Scheme 1999.

The following executive directors of the Company, being potential beneficiaries
of the Trust, are considered to be interested in these shares:

R G Handover
T M Hely Hutchinson
Ms B C Hodson
J A Warren
L J Wigglesworth