Holding(s) in Company

Sainsbury(J) PLC
22 February 2005

J Sainsbury plc



J Sainsbury plc received notification today that the Trustees of the Gatsby
Charitable Foundation have decreased their reportable interest in the Company.


As a result the reportable interest held by Judith Portrait  has decreased to 21
per cent instead of 23 percent as previously reported. Christopher Stone and
Andrew Cahn have decreased their holding and no longer hold a reportable
interest in the Company.



Enquiries:


Investor Relations                 Media
[phone]               [phone]
Lynda Ashton                       Pip Wood


End


For information purposes, notes received from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation
are attached



1.    Share sale



The Trustees of the Gatsby Charitable Foundation ('the Foundation') have
notified J Sainsbury plc that they have sold 45 million shares from their
holding of the Company's shares.  This share sale has been made in accordance
with the Foundation's established practice of ensuring that it has sufficient
liquid funds to meet its grant-making obligations at the time that it makes
grants.  The Foundation has a continuing grant-making programme and is today
announcing the decision in principle to make a major donation of approximately
£45 million to Cambridge University for the establishment of a new Institute for
the study of plant diversity and development.  This is in addition to its
continuing support for the Sainsbury Laboratory for the study of plant molecular
pathology at the John Innes Institute in Norwich.



As a result of this transaction, the liquid funds available to the Foundation to
support grants will increase by approximately £130 million.  A copy of the
Trustees' formal notification of changes to their interests in the Company's
share capital is attached to this announcement:  as a result of the sale each of
the Trustees' holdings has reduced by approximately 3 per cent.



2.   The Gatsby Charitable Foundation



       The Foundation was created by Lord Sainsbury of Turville in 1967 and
is one of 20 Sainsbury family charitable trusts which share an administrative
office.



       Since its creation, the Foundation has made grants of more than £400
million and has committed to future donations of more than £100 million.



            The Foundation makes grants within the following categories:-



            *          technical education - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £39
                       million

            *          plant science - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £19 million

            *          cognitive neuroscience - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £7
                       million

            *          mental health - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £13 million

            *          disadvantaged children - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £19
                       million

            *          local economic renewal - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £2
                       million

            *          Africa - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £14 million

            *          the arts - grants paid 2000 to 2004 - £12 million

            *          economic and social research - grants paid 2000 to 2004 -
                       £4 million
     


    Within these categories, the Foundation makes grants for projects
which it judges to have particular merit.  Many of the grants are for projects
which the Foundation has helped to initiate and has supported for many years.
Generally, Gatsby does not make grants in response to unsolicited applications
nor to individuals.



     While Lord Sainsbury remains a Government Minister, he does not
participate in the grant-making decisions of Gatsby.



3.   The new Institute for the study of plant diversity and development


     The proposal envisages a significant international centre with a
scientific focus on the mechanisms of plant development and the diversity of
biological forms that this development naturally creates.  This is a natural
progression of the Foundation's interest and track record in this area.  In
particular, in 1987 the Foundation established the Sainsbury Laboratory for
Plant Molecular Pathology at the John Innes Centre in Norwich.  The Laboratory
has subsequently established itself as one of the world's leading research
centres for plant disease.


Enquiries:



Gatsby Charitable Foundation        Michael Pattison, Director
                                    020 7410 0330

University of Cambridge             Peter Agar, Development Director
                                    01223 333 161/2


                           NOTICE TO J SAINSBURY PLC


Judith Portrait, Christopher Stone and Andrew Cahn hereby notify J Sainsbury plc
('the Company') the following changes to their interests in shares ('relevant
shares') comprised in the relevant share capital of the Company (within the
meaning of Section 198, Companies Act 1985):-



(i)   as joint Trustees of a charitable trust known as the Gatsby
Charitable Foundation they have sold 45,000,000 shares in the Company which will
result in a reduction from 87,517,867 to 42,517,867 of the number of relevant
shares subject to the charitable trust. Prior to the sale, Judith Portrait and
Christopher Stone were the registered holders, as Trustees, of such 87,517,867
shares in the Company;



(ii)  none of the interests of Judith Portrait, Christopher Stone or Andrew
Cahn in the 42,517,867 shares referred to in (i) above are interests by virtue
of Section 208(5), Companies Act 1985; and



(iii)  following the sale mentioned in (i) above, including the 42,517,867
relevant shares in which they continue to be jointly interested as mentioned in
(i) above, each of them is interested, in all capacities, in approximately the
following numbers of relevant shares:-



Judith Portrait            -     21% (358,151,559 shares in aggregate)
      Christopher Stone    -           Under 3%
      Andrew Cahn          -           Under 3%






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