Tony Fountain, NDA chief executive, said the selection of Babcock Dounreay Partnership as the preferred bidder was a significant step in the authority's drive to attract "world-class management and innovation" to its sites.
The goods and services under inspection--including housing, transportation, food, leisure and household supplies--are representative of executive spending patterns, and the selection of the cities reflects the request for corresponding data from the groups that use the study's findings.
Wachovia's selection of a new chief executive, former U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Robert Steel, did little to put to rest speculation about the bank's future on Thursday.