Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging   
         managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them      

    1   Details  of  the  person  discharging  managerial  responsibilities  /  person 
         closely associated                                                            
                                                                                       
    a)  Name                          James Long                                       
                                                                                       
    2   Reason for the notification                                                    
                                                                                       
    a)  Position/status                Chairman                                        
                                                                                       
    b)  Initial notification/         Initial notification                             
        Amendment                                                                      
                                                                                       
    3   Details of the issuer, emission allowance e market participant, auction        
        platform, auctioneer or auction monitor                                        
                                                                                       
    a)  Name                          BlackRock Income Strategies Trust plc            
                                                                                       
    b)  LEI                           2138003QINEGCHYGW702                             
                                                                                       
    4   Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of     
        instrument;                                                                    
        (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where      
        transactions have been conducted                                               
                                                                                       
    a)  Description of the financial  Ordinary shares of 25p each (shares)             
        instrument, type of                                                            
        instrument                                                                     
                                                                                       
                                      GB0001297562                                     
        Identification code                                                            
                                                                                       
    b)  Nature of the transaction     Dividend reinvestment                            
                                                                                       
    c)  Price(s) and volume(s)        Price(s)                 Volume(s)               
                                                                                       
                                      £1.1147                  562                     
                                                                                       
    d)  Aggregated information          n/a (single transaction - see above)           
                                                                                       
        - Aggregated volume                                                            
                                                                                       
        - Price                                                                        
                                                                                       
                                                                                       
    e)  Date of the transaction       2016-10-12                                       
                                                                                       
    f)  Place of the transaction      London Stock Exchange (XLON)