Statement re Share Price Movement

Gooch & Housego PLC
9 February 2000


Gooch & Housego PLC
Statement from the Board of Directors - 9th February, 2000
**********************************************************

The Board of Directors of Gooch & Housego PLC has noted the recent rise in the
share price and press speculation about the status of the development of a
fibre optic switch for telecommunication applications.  The Chairman's
statement in the Report and Accounts for the year ended 30 September 1999,
issued on 20 January 2000, contained the following statement:

'The Research Laboratory dedicated to this project is now fully established,
and our new physicist is generating encouraging results.  We are pleased to
report that one of the main problems has now been overcome, which has given us
encouragement that this switch can be developed to the final stage'.

We would stress that the project has not yet reached the stage where the
switch can  be developed as a commercial product and significant further
development work is required.

Enquiries:  Ian Bayer, Finance Director
            Telephone - 01460 52271