Benchmark Holdings Regulatory News (BMK)

For filings with the FCA include the annex

For filings with issuer exclude the annex

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARESi

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuerof existing shares to which voting rights areattached: ii

Benchmark Holdings Plc

Sedol BGHPT80

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify):

Participation in placing

√

3. Full name of person(s) subject to thenotification obligation: iii

1Lansdowne Partners International Limited

2Lansdowne Partners Limited

3Lansdowne Partners (UK) LLP

4. Full name of shareholder(s)  (if different from 3.):iv

HSBC Client Holdings Nominee (UK) Ltd

(Registered Shareholders)

5. Date of the transaction and date onwhich the threshold is crossed orreached: v

30/12/2015

6. Date on which issuer notified:

04/01/2016

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed orreached: vi, vii

14% - 18%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type ofshares

if possible usingthe ISIN CODE

Situation previousto the triggeringtransaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

NumberofShares

NumberofVotingRights

Numberof shares

Number of votingrights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

Ordinary Shares

18,500,000

18,500,000

80,000,000

18.37%

GB00BGHPT808

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Expirationdate xiii

Exercise/Conversion Period xiv

Number of votingrights that may beacquired if theinstrument isexercised/ converted.

% of votingrights

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Exercise price

Expiration date xvii

Exercise/Conversion period xviii

Number of voting rights instrument refers to

% of voting rights xix, xx

Nominal

Delta

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

80,000,000

18.37%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or thefinancial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi

Lansdowne Partners International Limited is the parent undertaking of Lansdowne Partners Limited which is the First Corporate Member of Lansdowne Partners (UK) LLP.

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will ceaseto hold:

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to holdvoting rights:

13. Additional information:

Based on Total Voting Rights of 435,271,666 as at 30 December 2015

14. Contact name:

Ruari Paton

15. Contact telephone number:

+44 20 7290 5500