Holding(s) in Company

Smith WH PLC 25 July 2006 NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES 1) NAME OF LISTED COMPANY WH SMITH PLC 2) NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST SILCHESTER INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS LIMITED 3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is regarding the holding of the shareholder named in 2 above; 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 SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 25 JULY 2006 4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of shares held by each of them. SEE LETTER BELOW DATED 25 JULY 2006 5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired. N/A 6) Percentage of issued Class (any treasury shares held by the listed company should not be taken into account when calculating percentage) 7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed N/A 8) Percentage of issued Class (any treasury shares held by the listed company should not be taken into account when calculating percentage) 9) Class of security ORDINARY SHARES OF 2 13/81 PENCE EACH 10) Date of transaction N/A 11) Date listed company informed 25 JULY 2006 12) Total holding following this notification 25,270,903 13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification (any treasury shares held by the listed company should not be taken into account when calculating percentage) 13.95% 14) Any additional information 15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries AMANDA LAM (01793) 562489 16) Name and signature of duly authorised officer of the listed company responsible for making this notification A J H STEWART Date of Notification 25 JULY 2006 Letter to WH SMITH PLC Letter Dated 25 JULY 2006 Silchester International Investors Limited ('Silchester') acts as an Investment Manager for a number of commingled funds ('our Clients'). In acting for our Clients, we are given full discretion over their investments, and are empowered to vote on their behalf. However, we do not act as their Custodian and therefore shares are not held in our name, but in the nominee name of our Clients' Custodian bank. In addition, Silchester holds 49.9% of the issued share capital of Sanderson Asset Management Limited ('Sanderson') a UK limited company that also acts as Investment Manager for a number of commingled funds and separate accounts. In acting for its clients, Sanderson are given full discretion over their investments, and are empowered to vote on their behalf. However, Sanderson do not act as its clients' Custodian and therefore shares are not held in Sanderson's name, but in the nominee name of Sanderson's client's Custodian bank. Silchester's share ownership in Sanderson does not allow Silchester to exercise any direct or indirect control over Sanderson's investment strategy, philosophy or implementation, the investments that Sanderson may purchase or sell on behalf of its clients, or the manner in which Sanderson may vote proxies that arise from its client investments. However, Silchester is deemed to have an 'interest' in shares that Sanderson controls by virtue of Section 203(2)(b) of the Companies Act 1985. Recent purchases/sales of shares in your company, by Silchester on behalf of its clients, have resulted in Silchester having an interest in the following shares (also see below): SILCHESTER 19,745,697 Recent purchases/sales of shares in your company by Sanderson on behalf of its clients, have resulted in Sanderson having an interest in the following shares, and Silchester having an interest over the same shares for the purposes of Section 203(2)(b) of the Companies Act 1985 (also see below): SANDERSON 5,525,206 Our records show that you have the following shares in that class: WH SMITH PLC 181,100,448 As such, Silchester has an interest over 13.95% of the shares of that class and, of that, two of our clients control 7.01% and 2.97%. This interest is being notified in fulfillment of the obligations imposed by Section 198-202 of the Companies Act 1985. Silchester does not have an interest mentioned in Section 208(5) of the Companies Act 1985 in any of the shares to which this notification relates. The Takeover Panel has advised that Silchester is not required to report its Client's shareholding in aggregate with Sanderson for purposes of Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code. Letter from SILCHESTER SILCHESTER INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS LIMITED - CLIENT OWNERSHIP Company: WH SMITH PLC Attention: Ian Houghton Share Class: Address: Greenbridge Road ORDINARY Swindon Wiltshire SN3 3RX Issued Shares: 181,100,448 SII Client Ownership: 19,745,697 Date: 25 July 2006 % of Shares 10.90 SII ACCOUNT NOMINEE SILCHESTER SILCHESTER % HOLDING VOTING CURRENT AT FUND AUTHORITY SHARE LEVEL HOLDING Silchester International Investors Northern Trust YES 5,377,703 2.97 International Value Equity Group Trust Company Silchester International Investors Tobacco Northern Trust YES 859,803 0.47 Free International Value Equity Trust Company Silchester International Investors Northern Trust YES 12,698,631 7.01 International Value Equity Trust Company The Calleva Trust Northern Trust YES 809,560 0.45 Company TOTAL 19,745,697 Please refer to the following page for information on Sanderson Management Limited's ('Sanderson's') client holdings. Under the terms of Sanderson's privacy policy, the names, addresses or other identifying information of Sanderson's client accounts are not shared with Silchester employees. SANDERSON ASSET MANAGEMENT - CLIENT OWNERSHIP Company: WH SMITH PLC Attention: Ian Houghton Share Class: Address: Greenbridge Road ORDINARY Swindon Wiltshire SN3 3RX Issued Shares: 181,100,448 SAM Ownership: 5,525,206 Date: 25 July 2006 % of Shares 3.05 SAM ACCOUNT NOMINEES SANDERSON SANDERSON % HOLDING VOTING CURRENT AT FUND AUTHORITY SHARE LEVEL HOLDING BRAN NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 52,000 0.03 BUST NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 2,333,000 1.29 CAT PICTET & CIE YES 109,000 0.06 DYN STATE STREET YES 88,700 0.05 EUF STATE STREET YES 317,026 0.18 GOLF BANK OF NEW YORK YES 82,000 0.05 GRIT NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 639,000 0.35 INGOT MELLON TRUST YES 139,680 0.08 MINI STATE STREET YES 230,400 0.13 OCEAN NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 100,000 0.06 OVAL MELLON TRUST YES 131,800 0.07 PEARL NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 63,000 0.03 RAIN CITIGROUP YES 109,000 0.06 RICE NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 142,000 0.08 STAMP NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 75,600 0.04 TIME BANK OF NEW YORK YES 29,000 0.02 TRAY NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 533,000 0.29 WHEAT MELLON TRUST YES 143,000 0.08 WINDY NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 98,000 0.05 WOGAN NORTHERN TRUST CO YES 110,000 0.06 TOTAL 5,525,206 Under the terms of Sanderson Asset Management Limited's ('Sanderson's') privacy policy, the names, addresses, or other identifying information of Sanderson's client accounts are not shared with Silchester employees. 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