Director Shareholding

Guinness Peat Group PLC
24 May 2005


                            GUINNESS PEAT GROUP plc

                              COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT

                           DIRECTORS' SHARE INTERESTS

Following the allotment of shares on 13 May 2005 under the Company's Scrip
Dividend Alternative allotted at a rate of 1 new share for every 80 elected and
the allotment of shares on 23 May 2005 under the 2005 Capitalisation Issue,
Guinness Peat Group plc ("GPG") announces the following increased interests of
its directors in the securities of the Group:

                               Guinness Peat Group plc                   GPG (UK) Holdings plc
                             Ordinary Shares of 5p each                  Convertible Loan Notes

                                           Percentage of shares                      Percentage of CLNs
                                                 in issue                                 in issue
                           No. shares                                No. CLNs

Sir Ron Brierley           33,759,528             3.50%              1,966,789             3.26%

G J Cureton                 188,142               0.02%                  -                   -

A I Gibbs                  2,527,225              0.26%               913,433              1.51%

B A Nixon                  7,245,001              0.75%                 675                  -

Dr G H Weiss               10,232,045             1.06%                  -                   -


As at close of business in UK on 23 May 2005, Guinness Peat Group plc had
964,624,992 shares in issue, and GPG (UK) Holdings plc had 60,294,864
Convertible Loan Notes in issue.


Richard Russell
Company Secretary
24 May 2005

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