CONFIDENTIALITY orders issued by the Scottish Government banning Ferguson's bosses from discussing the £230 million ferries fiasco were signed by four senior managers at the yard, it has been reported.

The secret pay-off agreements — said to have been drawn-up before the government stepped in to nationalise the yard — included clauses preventing the people involved from criticising SNP ministers, it has been reported.

It is understood that deals were handed to finance director Tom Cousins, business development manager Jim Clark, head of procurement Ian Kelso and chief naval architect Chris Dunn.

A document handed to one of the men was titled 'settlement agreement' and stated: "In all circumstances leading to the termination of the employee's employment will remain confidential between the parties and their appointed representatives."

It adds a clause preventing the signatory from making any 'detrimental or derogatory statements' about 'any associated persons, shareholders or investors'

Salary and other payments to the four men were conditional on them agreeing to the terms, is has been reported.

Ferguson's went into administration amid a bitter wrangle between the yard and the government's ship procurement firm Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd over two heavily delayed ferries.

Former finance secretary Derek Mackay moved to bring the yard under government control late last year.

A statement issued by the government said: "The Scottish Government has not asked any staff to sign a non-disclosure agreement [NDA].

"At the start of their employment with FMEL [Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd] — prior to the Scottish Government taking control — senior management signed confidentiality clauses as part of their conditions of employment with the previous owner of the business.

"To ensure that former members of the FMEL management team were able to engage openly with the parliamentary inquiry into the construction and procurement of ferries in Scotland, the Scottish Government secured the agreement of the FMEL administrator to release former FMEL employees from their contractual confidentiality obligation for that purpose."

Responding to an enquiry by the Telegraph, a Scottish Government spokesman said: "Current or former employees are not restricted in any way from taking part in public processes such as the parliamentary inquiry into Ferguson's – and it is completely untrue to suggest otherwise."