Purchase of Shares

Gooch & Housego PLC 27 June 2001 27th June, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GOOCH & HOUSEGO PLC Gooch & Housego PLC hereby confirms they have been notified today by The Gooch Charitable Trust (Ilminister) that they have bought 15,000 ordinary shares in the Company at a price of 232p per share. The Trust was set up in January 1998 with a donation, by Mrs. H. Virgin, of 300,000 ordinary shares in Gooch & Housego PLC. The Trustees are J Letham and E Amor, who are independent of the Company, and Mrs H. Virgin and A W Gooch who are a Director and the Executive Chairman, respectively, of Gooch & Housego PLC. The objects of the Trust are to hold the fund and its income for the benefit of the town of Ilminster in Somerset. In particular the Trust is to preserve and maintain, for the benefits of the public, the Parish Church of St. Mary's and to support other local charities. In accordance with the Trust deed both Mrs H. Virgin and A W Gooch abstained from the decision to purchase these shares. They do not benefit, or gain, in any way from this transaction. Following the purchase The Gooch Charitable Trust (Ilminster) holds 240,000 ordinary shares representing 1.33% of the total issued share capital of Gooch & Housego PLC.