In July 1998, Laser had access to funds that it considered sufficient to complete construction

1.14  In the design and build contract between Laser and JLC Ltd, the latter agreed to provide new laboratory facilities that complied with the Department's output specification for a fixed price of about £82 million. At the time, Laser had access to funds totalling nearly £100 million (Figure 7 overleaf) to cover its total expected capital expenditure of £96 million.

1.15  In its financial model, Laser estimated that its maximum demand on the available funds would be £94 million, the rest of its cash requirements would be met from revenue received following completion of the early construction phases. Laser, therefore, had a small funding cushion to cover risks and contingencies that it had not passed down the contractual chain.