Trade and industry secretary Stephen Byers this week gave further indications that his preferred site for the United Kingdom's new X-ray synchrotron source is Daresbury Laboratory.
His final decision to locate the instrument at Daresbury, Cheshire or its rival the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire will be announced next week.
Mr Byers told the House of Commmons science and technology select committee on Wednesday that it was important to underpin the science base in the north west. He is still awaiting the views of the Wellcome Trust, which is contributing Pounds 100 million towards the project.