Labour seeking review of ‘disgraceful’ Forth bridge decision

THERE should be a review into the “disgraceful” decision to give a contract to supply steel for the new Forth crossing to overseas firms, Scottish Labour said today.

Johnann Lamont, the party’s leader, raised the issue after it was announced that Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors, the consortium responsible for delivering the principal contract for the crossing, had struck deals with “major international steel suppliers in China and the EU”.

She told MSPs: “The Chinese got an £800 million steel contract and we got two pandas.”

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Steel workers from the Community trade union have written to Prime Minister David Cameron, asking him to intervene. Now Labour has called for a review of the contract.

Ms Lamont demanded: “Will the First Minister stand up for Scottish workers and instruct an immediate review of this disgraceful contract which will have huge consequences across our communities?”

However, Mr Salmond told the Labour leader that the steel contract only represents 5%-10% of the total value of the Forth replacement crossing principle contract which is is worth £790 million.

He added: “I’m not sure if Johann Lamont knows this but we dont actually have manufacturing fabrication facilities for steel in Scotland, thanks to the degradation of past Westminster governments.”

The First Minister also insisted that the new Forth road bridge would deliver a “substantial good deal to Scotland”.

He said 118 of the 155 subcontracts on the project had gone to firms in Scotland, while Scottish companies are benefiting from 870 of the 1,041 supply orders.

The First Minister said: “The Forth replacement crossing project will support 1,200 Scottish jobs and secure an additional 3,000 more.”