3,000 new jobs for Rosyth

Thousands of new jobs will be created at the Rosyth naval base - across the Forth from Edinburgh - over the next five years, the prospective new owners announced last night. The Rosyth 2000 consortium, preferred bidders when the Royal Navy leaves next March, said between 3,000 and 5,000 jobs would be created.

The consortium of Bank of Scotland, Scottish Power, Forth Ports and Babcock International, which operates the adjoining dockyard, was chosen from four bids. It is understood Rosyth 2000 did not make the highest financial offer but the Government was swayed by the number of jobs which would be created through operating Rosyth as a commercial port and building an industrial park.