ANGRY Scots steelworkers are demanding to know why the Scottish Government awarded the contract for the new Forth Bridge to a consortium that sourced the material from China, Poland and Spain.

Transport Scotland said a week ago the winning consortium had sub-contracted the steel supplies abroad, claiming there had been no Scottish bids.

But the Indian conglomerate Tata, which owns the Dalzell works in Motherwell and Clydebridge, said last night it would have been in line for a contract if the work had gone to another consortium.

A spokesman said: "Tata Steel can confirm that it did participate indirectly in the tender process for the Forth Bridge contract and that its Dalzell works is capable of supplying a significant proportion of the steel required."

Alex Salmond was questioned about the contract by Motherwell and Wishaw MSP John Pentland amid growing anger that Dalzell missed out on the business.

Michael Leahy, general secretary of the steel union Community, said: "The First Minister had the chance to tell the people of Scotland why no Scottish steel worker will benefit from the project. I call again on the First Minister to halt the decision while a review of the whole procurement process takes place."

Labour's Shadow Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, Richard Baker, said: "Last week SNP's transport agency stated that the multi-million pound steel contract had gone to foreign-based companies because no Scottish firm bid for the work. It now transpires Scottish firms could well have benefited if the SNP Government looked more carefully at getting the biggest bang for our buck, rather than the lowest possible cost."

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: "No Scottish structural steelwork fabricators bid for the work."