RNS No 9114h
GOOCH & HOUSEGO PLC
30 March 1999


                      GOOCH & HOUSEGO PLC
                               
                               
The  Directors of Gooch & Housego PLC are pleased to  announce
that  Cleveland  Crystals Inc. ("Cleveland"),  its  latest  US
acquisition,   has started work on a new incrementally  funded
$5  million contract to grow and fabricate crystal plates  for
the  new  laser  under construction at the  US  Department  of
Energys   National  Ignition  Facility  (NIF)   at   Lawrence
Livermore  National Laboratory in California.  The laser  will
be the worlds largest when completed in 2003 and will be used
to study nuclear fusion.

Cleveland  Crystals, a Gooch & Housego PLC group company,  has
supplied  crystals for earlier large lasers built in Livermore
and Rochester NY and developed a unique capability to make and
finish those crystals with support from the technical staff at
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.


For further information contact:

Gareth Jones, Managing Director
Gooch & Housego PLC                               01460 52271


Notes to Editors

Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory  will
focus the output of the laser onto small deuterium and tritium
targets  to study nuclear fusion.  What they learn  will  give
greater understanding of the ageing nuclear weapons stockpile,
and  help keep it safe and reliable in the absence of  nuclear
testing.   NIF will also perform important research in  fusion
energy  development,  astrophysics  and  basic  science.   The
"tripler"  plates  from Cleveland Crystals  will  be  used  to
convert  the  output  of the worlds largest  laser  into  the
ultraviolet  part of the spectrum to make the  fusion  process
more efficient.

Lawrence  Livermore National Laboratory is one of the  world's
largest users of high quality optics, crystals, electro-optics
and acousto-optics, all of which are key products of the Gooch
&   Housego  group  of  companies.   As  a  result   a   close
relationship  is developing and regular discussions,  meetings
and  visits  are  taking  place with  aim  of  developing  the
business in each of these areas.


END

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