HC Deb 23 May 2000 vol 350 c475W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what detailed assessment was made of the cost associated with building the new synchrotron at(a) Daresbury and (b) Oxford. [122447]

Ms Hewitt

In May 1999 the OST commissioned ADD Consultants to consider the comparative advantages, benefits and costs of the site location and its effect on the New Synchrotron project. Their report (completed in June 1999 and made public in January 2000) considered both the Daresbury Laboratory in Cheshire and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. This report indicated some saving in running costs if the facility were located at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry commissioned a further survey into the same two sites in November 1999 and this was carried out by Allott and Lomax. Their report (completed and made public in January 2000) concluded that there were no differences in cost between constructing the facility at the Daresbury Laboratory and at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory site, within their estimation errors.

The issue of cost was not a significant factor in choosing to locate at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the decision to place the synchrotron in Oxfordshire was based on a best value or similar review. [122452]

Ms Hewitt

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on the 21 March 2000,Official Report, column 480W.

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason ADD was chosen as the consultant to report on the suitability of the sites for the new synchrotron. [122448]

Ms Hewitt

ADD Consultants were originally commissioned by CCLRC (the Council for the Central Laboratories of the Research Councils) to write a business case for the New Synchrotron in January 1999. Because of ADD' s existing involvement in the project, and the time constraints, they were a natural choice to carry out the additional study on the suitability of the sites for the new synchrotron.