THE enterprise minister was accused of being spineless by one of the Scottish Executive's own MSPs for failing to place a lifeline order with a shipyard.

Jim Wallace was attacked by Labour's Trish Godman for saying the executive had to invite tenders from across Europe for two new fisheries' protection vessels. The work would safeguard 300 jobs at Ferguson's of Port Glasgow, the last yard in the UK competing solely for new-build commercial work.

Local MSPs fear other EU countries, notably Poland, will try to undercut Ferguson's with the help of hidden state subsidies and say the executive should simply give the Scottish yard the order.

At ministerial questions in Holyrood yesterday, the SNP's Bruce McFee said all that was needed was political will.

However, Mr Wallace said the executive had to abide by EU procurement rules.

At this, Ms Godman, MSP forWest Renfrewshire, said: "I don't think that's the case at all.

Why is it, minister, that highly skilled workers have to go down on their collective knee to build ships that will be bought by the public sector and financed by Scottish Executive money?

"Stop demeaning this workforce. We need some backbone here in our own backyard."

A flustered Mr Wallace denied he was demeaning workers. He said he was aware of rumours foreign yards were given illicit subsidies, and these had been checked by ministers and no evidence found. A decision on the award of the order is expected this summer.