Holding(s) in Company

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARESi

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

The Scottish Oriental Smaller Companies Trust Plc

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

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

X

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):

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

Lloyds Banking Group plc

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

See section 9

5. Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or reached: v

04 June 2010

6. Date on which issuer notified:

08 June 2010

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

Direct/indirect holdings decreased to below 6%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type of shares

if possible using the ISIN CODE

Situation previous to the triggering transaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Number of Shares

Number of Voting Rights

Number of shares

Number of voting rights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

Ord 25p shares

GB0007836132

2,092,902

2,092,902

250,639

250,639

1,512,082

0.830%

5.005%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument

Expiration date xiii

Exercise/ Conversion Period xiv

Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is exercised/ converted.

% of voting rights

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

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument

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

1,762,721

5.834%

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

1,752,529 Shares (5.800%) are under the control of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish Widows Group Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds TSB Bank plc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group plc (Indirect Interests).

We understand that the remaining 10,192 shares representing 0.034% are held through the following group companies:

Lloyds Private Banking (8,130 shares)

Lloyds Private Banking Offshore (1,200 shares)

Halifax Share Dealing (21 shares)

Insurance & Investment Division Clerical Medical Insurance Isle of Man Discretionary (841 shares)

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

N/A

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

N/A

13. Additional information:

Notification using the Total Voting Rights figure of 30,213,650

14. Contact name:

Sarah Menzies

15. Contact telephone number:

+44 131 473 2279