A contract to build a key vessel for the HMS Queen Elizabeth has been handed to a Dutch company in a major snub to Fife shipbuilders.
Private firm Serco asked Damen to build the powerful tug boat, which will be vital in guiding the aircraft carrier in and out of Portsmouth when it moves from Rosyth.
The decision to carry out the work overseas has been slammed by Dunfermline and West Fife MP Douglas Chapman, with jobs being created in the Netherlands instead of Scotland.
He said: “This story underlines the fact that, despite their promises under the so-called Prosperity Agenda, this government just can’t seem to back up their rhetoric and make a real commitment to commercial shipbuilding in the UK.
“I was fortunate enough to spend Monday morning talking to management and unions at the Rosyth shipyard in my constituency, and while they were optimistic about the future, there were still concerns about how they can protect the investments, in money and skills, that have been made at the site.
“The awarding of this contract to a Dutch yard puts to bed the myth that you can’t build commercial ships in Northern Europe.
“After what I saw in Rosyth this morning I know we have the top-class skills base to build these ships too we just need a Westminster Government that has the same confidence in Scottish shipbuilding that Holyrood does.”
A spokesman for Serco, who run the tugs and support boats at Portsmouth’s naval base, would only say the work is being done by the current 9,000-strong Dutch workforce when asked how many jobs were involved in the project.
He said: “All sustainable, available suppliers were reviewed by a joint Serco/MoD panel resulting in the two shipyards that were able to deliver to the specific requirements, both of which were outside the UK.”
The company commissioned Damen to provide it with a vessel which will be more than one and half times more powerful than standard tugs.
“There were significant challenges to be met with respect to vessel power, manoeuvrability, customisation and delivery time, but once again, Damen more than rose to the challenge,” added Serco Marine Service’s Iain MacLeod.
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said Serco has a 15 year contract with the Whitehall department, which includes a requirement to provide support vessels.