INVERCLYDE'S SNP parliamentarians are today being urged to support the award of new Scottish Government ferries contracts to the nationalised Ferguson shipyard in Port Glasgow.

The pro-independence Alba Party has written to Stuart McMillan MSP and Ronnie Cowan MP amid fears for jobs at the yard beyond the delivery of the two vessels yet to be completed.

Alba's direct plea to Mr McMillan and Mr Cowan comes after the Telegraph told last week how the spectre of redundancies was highlighted by management during recent site visit by MSPs.

In the letter, Alba's general secretary Chris McEleny states: "Time is of the essence, it is no longer acceptable to hide behind age old lines of commitment to saving jobs at Ferguson's in 2019 and the completion of Hulls 801 and 802 when the biggest threat to the future of shipbuilding in Inverclyde is now the reluctance to commit to the award of future work to the yard."

One lucrative contract for new ferries for Islay has already been awarded to a shipyard in Turkey.

Alba fears that because the specification for a new £115m contract to build ferries for the 'Skye Triangle' routes is identical that this too will be awarded to a foreign yard.

Chris McEleny, a former leader of the SNP Group within Inverclyde Council, said: "It was a slap in the face to Scottish shipbuilding when [government procurement quango] CMAL was allowed to award lucrative work to Turkey.

"Our MSP and MP didn't express opposition to this at the time but I believe they have now had ample time to understand that the entire future shipbuilding on the lower Clyde is now on the line with the upcoming 'Skye Triangle' contracts.

"The Scottish Government own ferries, they operate ferries and run a shipyard that builds ferries.

"It is therefore an absurdity that they would then consider giving lucrative contracts to build our ferries to yards overseas."

A member of a Holyrood's Audit Committee probing a catalogue of failures over the current ferries being built at Ferguson's told First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that people were worried about their futures at the yard.

Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: "Obviously you will be aware that we have visited the yard and the management made clear that as a result of the issues surrounding the yard, the order book isn't as healthy as it could be, and that a fresh injection of working capital will be needed to avoid redundancies."

Ms Sturgeon responded: "A key driver for the Scottish Government all along has been protecting employment at the shipyard."

The yard itself fuelled job loss fears after declaring that it may not bid for the latest £115m contract, stating that it was concentrating on building smaller vessels of around 500 tons.

A Ferguson's spokesperson said: "Our preferred option is to secure an order for the small vessels that [Port Glasgow-based Scottish Government procurement quango] CMAL is planning."

Alba's Mr McEleny said: "It is simple arithmetic — the steel tonnage for a small vessel supports 50 to 75 jobs. This simply isn't good enough and should not be accepted."

The Telegraph understands that Alba's letter has been sent to Mr McMillan and Mr Cowan today (Mon) and we have sought their responses to it.