Coats Group Plc Regulatory News (COA)

GUINNESS PEAT GROUP PLC

DISSEMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT

ANNUAL REPORT & ACCOUNTS 2009

The Annual Report and Accounts of Guinness Peat Group plc ("GPG" or the "Company") for the year ended 31 December 2009 ("the 2009 Annual Report") has been placed on the Company's website at www.gpgplc.com. Two copies have also been lodged with and are available at the London Stock Exchange Document Viewing Facility.

Furthermore, the Group's Preliminary Announcement of Results for the year ended 31 December 2009 (the "Preliminary Announcement") was released to the market on 26 February 2010 and may be viewed on the Company's website at www.gpgplc.com. In addition to the Preliminary Announcement and the availability of the Company's Annual Report, GPG is also making available to the market the following commentary on those additional matters required by the Disclosure and Transparency Regulations as follows:

Risks and Uncertainties

Commentary on the Group's activities during 2009 and also on the outlook for 2010 are set out in the Chairman's Statement in the Preliminary Announcement and in the 2009 Annual Report. As mentioned in the Annual Report, GPG is a strategic investment holding company. The identification and consequent management of risk is an inherent feature of the investment evaluation process.

The Group's major operating subsidiaries (being CIC Australia, Coats, MMC Contrarian and Turner & Growers) produce their own Annual Reports in which can be found reports on their business operations.

The Company's Key Performance Indicators ("KPIs") comprising the movement in Shareholders Funds since 1998 and the compound movement in GPG's Net Asset Value Per Share, appear in the charts within the Chairman's Statement in the 2009 Annual Report.

Further information on GPG's principal risks and their management can be found in the Corporate Governance report in the Annual Report, under the headings "Internal Controls" and "Business Review". This includes commentary on the way the Group manages the risks inherent in its activities and those of it operating subsidiaries, including such matters as currency, interest rate, capital, market price, liquidity and credit current litigation in respect of Coats, and risks inherent in the operation of the Group's defined benefit pension schemes.

Chris Healy

Company Secretary

Guinness Peat Group plc

Tel: +44 20 7484 3370

25 March 2010