ESDU 89013 introduces a Fortran program provided on disc in the software volume (ESDUpac A8913) both uncompiled and compiled within ESDUview@ a user-friendly interface that prompts for input data and runs under MS DOS. The program calculates the stiffnesses of laminated plates (or a sandwich panel) from the properties of the layers@ with no restriction on the lay-up arrangement. The theory is outlined and assumes that points on a normal to the mid-surface before bending remain in a straight line@ although not normal to the mid-surface@ after bending. This allows rotation in shear to be added to rotation due to classical plate bending. Example calculations are included together with graphs showing the effect of lay-up on the shear stiffnesses. A full description of the input and output of the program is provided@ with details of various warning messages that may be generated@ and the testing to which the program was subjected is discussed. Values of transverse shear stiffness are important in calculating deflections caused by through-thickness shear stresses@ particularly for laminated plates for which the transverse stiffnesses@ which depend on the properties of the matrix material bonding the fibres together@ are low.