Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes has said the Scottish Government is considering options to strengthen financial support for commercial shipbuilding, including potential use of enterprise agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank.
The issue was raised at Holyrood by Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who contrasted the strength of Scotland’s naval shipbuilding pipeline with the limited level of commercial shipbuilding activity.
Sweeney referenced the recent steel cut for HMS Bulldog and roll-out of HMS Active at Rosyth, describing Scotland as being at the forefront of Europe’s largest naval shipbuilding programme. He argued that the absence of state-backed finance for commercial projects was a key barrier, citing Germany’s long-running use of state-supported ship financing mechanisms. He asked whether the Scottish Government would commission work on a similar scheme in Scotland to provide confidence to smaller commercial yards, including Ferguson Marine.
Responding, Forbes said she shared Sweeney’s assessment of the sector’s strengths.
“I agree with Paul Sweeney that the strength of the workforce and the pipeline of orders that are coming through on the defence side are indicative of how much respect there is globally for the skills of Scottish shipbuilders,” she said.
On financing, she signalled that options are being examined. “There are certainly options for us to consider, through the enterprise agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank,” she said.
Forbes also pointed to ongoing engagement with the UK Government’s National Shipbuilding Office, which is exploring targeted financial interventions across the public and private finance landscape.
“There is an opportunity to work closely with the UK Government’s National Shipbuilding Office to ensure that the Scottish shipbuilding industry benefits from the national and international opportunities of its shipbuilding strategy,” she said, adding that she would keep Sweeney updated on progress.
