Purchase of Own Securities

HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
17 August 1999


     THE HENDERSON SMALLER COMPANIES INVESTMENT TRUST PLC
                               
   Market Purchase by the Company of its own Ordinary Shares

The  Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust  plc  hereby
gives notification that, pursuant to the authority granted  to
the Company at the Annual General Meeting on 25 September 1998
to make market purchases of the Company's own shares, a market
purchase  of  3,100,000 ordinary shares of  25p  each  of  the
Company was made today at a price of 278p per share.

Following the purchase and cancellation of the above shares,
172,973,000 ordinary shares of 25p each will remain in issue.



For further information please contact:

John Alexander/Stephen Westwood
Henderson Investors
Telephone: [phone]

or

Vicki Staveacre
Henderson Press Office
Telephone: [phone]