THE Scottish Executive is to offer new hope for the beleaguered Ferguson shipyard by bringing forward a new tendering process for a fisheries protection vessel, it emerged yesterday.
A successful bid for the vessel could prove a vital lifeline for the Port Glasgow yard, which this week announced 99 workers were being made redundant.
But now it is hoped bids can be received in the tendering process within the next 90 days, bef
ore the redundancy notices at Ferguson's come into effect.
The announcement came yesterday at First Minister's questions in the Scottish Parliament.
Ferguson, which is the last private shipbuilder on the Clyde, had previously bid for the £14 million fisheries protection vessel contract.
However, the tendering process had to be halted amid fears that it may have breached EU rules.
The First Minister, Jack McConnell, promised that the new process would be clearer than the last time. He said he hoped Ferguson would be able to put in a good enough bid to beat other European yards and its British rival Appledore in Devon.
He said: "The cabinet agreed yesterday to take immediate action to ensure the tendering process that is due on the fisheries vessel happens within this 90-day period, to provide an assurance to Ferguson's that they will be in a position to indicate an interest to tender."
The West Renfrewshire MSP Trish Godman welcomed Mr McConnell's comments and urged the First Minister to arrange a meeting between the environment minister, Ross Finnie, and the enterprise minister, Nicol Stephen, with management and shop stewards at the shipyard. She said she also hoped to be present at the meeting to discuss what other work the yard could bid for.
Mr McConnell told the Labour back-bench: "I'm sure that ministers will be willing to discuss these matters with Trish Godman. But I want to assure the chamber that first of all Scottish Enterprise, with the encouragement of ministers, have been actively involved in discussions with Ferguson's about diversification, about developing their ability to win contracts in the future and the kind of work they could be applying for."
In relation to the fisheries protection vessel, the First Minister said the Executive had ensured the original tendering process had been scrutinised.
He said: "There will be, in our view, a more professional tendering process this time round and therefore we hope that not just Ferguson's but other yards will be able to compete on a fair and consistent basis."
The full article contains 421 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
