Interim Results - Part 1

Martin Currie High Income Trust PLC
27 February 2001

Part 1


MARTIN CURRIE HIGH INCOME TRUST plc
Interim results for the six months to 31 January 2001

The board of Martin Currie High Income Trust plc has announced two interim
payments of 1.75p, making a total of 3.50p (2000 : 3.50p), for the period. The
six months from 1 August 2000 to 31 January 2001 saw the trust's earnings
increase from 3.86p to 4.17p, an increase of 8.0%.

During a volatile period, the trust has been relatively well insulated from
risk as a result of its bias towards income. Although the trust's net asset
value showed a small reduction from 69.3p to 66.8p, the net asset value total
return, that is capital return plus dividends, was up 2.1%. This compares with
a fall of 0.04% in the FTSE All-Share index total return over the same period.

Within the rise in total assets, the contribution from UK equities and
convertibles was 4.7%. This reflects the focus of the portfolio on
income-producing shares rather than technology companies. There was also a
strong performance from the corporate bond portfolio, which rose 15.5%, while
the FT Government All Stocks index rose 4.9%. But the holdings in split
capital investment trusts showed a fall of 4.6%.

Commenting, chairman Professor James MacLeod said: 'In my Annual Report
statement, I noted that the board expected to announce dividends totalling
8.20p in the absence of adverse circumstances and see no reason to alter that
statement. 

The prospect of a hard landing for the US economy has unnerved most markets.
In North America, a slew of earnings downgrades - not just in the technology
sector - has changed perception of the prospects for earnings.  Lower earnings
momentum implies that returns will be modest in the coming year.'

For further information, please contact:

Tom Maxwell
Martin Currie Investment Management Ltd                0131 229 5252
[e-mail]

Fiona Harris
Quill Communications                                    0207 618 8905
[e-mail]

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