Exhibit 99.12
Imperial Tobacco Group PLC - Close Period Share Repurchase Programme
Imperial Tobacco announces today that it has instructed Hoare Govett’s affiliate, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., London Branch, to commence a non-discretionary programme to repurchase its own ordinary shares during its close period which commences on 1 October 2005 and ends on 1 November 2005 with the publication of Imperial Tobacco’s preliminary results. The repurchased shares will all be held as treasury shares.
Any share repurchases will be effected within certain pre-set parameters and in accordance with both Imperial Tobacco’s general authority to repurchase ordinary shares and Chapter 12 of the Listing Rules, which requires that the maximum price paid be limited to no more than 105 per cent of the average middle market closing price of Imperial Tobacco’s ordinary shares for the five dealing days preceding the date of the purchase. Imperial Tobacco confirms that as at 30 September 2005 it has no unpublished price sensitive information.
Contacts:
| Imperial Tobacco Group PLC |
| 0117 933 7032 | |
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Jeremy Thompson |
| ABN AMRO |
| 020 7678 8000 |
