SCOTTISH ministers knew about the ‘precarious’ financial position of Ferguson’s shipyard in Port Glasgow for EIGHT months — but left workers in the dark.

Finance secretary John Swinney, pictured, admitted the government had held emergency talks with company bosses before the firm plunged into administration on Friday with the loss of 70 local jobs.

Greenock and Inverclyde MSP Duncan McNeil raised the question in the Scottish Parliament and criticised ministers for keeping the information about the financial difficulties from workers and the public.

Mr Swinney, who chaired Monday’s emergency Task Force summit in Greenock as agencies got together to try and rescue the yard, refused to apologise to parliament.

He said the talks were ‘private’ and the government cannot disclose a company’s confidential details.

But Mr McNeil says workers are angry that ministers knew about the ‘perilous’ situation.

He told parliament: “They are asking the question about why promises of further CalMac orders were not delivered and why the yard was allowed to close and could the closure have been prevented? Now with the statement today we have confirmed that the Scottish Government have been working with the employers on the perilous financial situation for eight months and the workforce, as you know, are very angry about being kept in the dark about those situations.” But Mr Swinney insisted the onus had been on Ferguson’s bosses to keep staff informed.

He said: “The government and its agencies have been involved in trying to address what I described at the Task Force as ‘the precarious financial position of Ferguson’s for some time’.

“That is what the government does all the time, we invariably do not disclose to parliament or to anybody that we are having those discussions because to disclose them would be to destabilise many of the companies that we are trying to address and trying to support.

“It’s not something I’m going to apologise to parliament for I think parliament would be horrified if the government was not involved in private discussions with companies to try to remedy their precarious financial situation that is what this government certainly is here to do. How employers then deal with that with their employees is a different matter.” Mr Swinney added: “I think in all my experience of these situations, where we are involved in discussions with companies about their precarious financial position, the situation is much improved when the workforce are taken into the loop because that is where many of the good solutions come from.

“I think it would be better if there was that type of discussion going on.” During Tuesday’s Holyrood debate, the finance minister said £250 million has been earmarked for 12 new CalMac ferries in the coming years and Ferguson’s has a ‘good track’ record of securing contracts.

Mr Swinney also assured the chamber that retaining the Port facility as a shipyard is his main priority after Mr McNeil raised the question.

He said: “My priority is to secure a future for Ferguson’s as a shipbuilding concern in the years to come and that is the focus of our discussions.” Earlier in the day, Ferguson’s shop stewards met with First Minister Alex Salmond for talks about the future of the yard.