Priti Patel was tonight urged not to snub British shipbuilders for a new fleet of Border Force boats to tackle Channel migrants at sea.
Industry insiders fear the Home Office could pump tens of millions of pounds into a foreign firm when ordering 11 “seagoing and coastal patrol vessels”.
The plan for the new boats was included in the updated National Shipbuilding Strategy, and comes amid government plans to send Channel migrants to Rwanda.
But industry insiders fear the tendering process could be drawn up to make it difficult for UK yards to bid for the deal.
They believe a Dutch firm, Damen, is being lined up for the project.
Labour MP Kevan Jones, a former Defence Minister who sits on the Commons Defence Select Committee and who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Shipbuilding, has written to Home Secretary Ms Patel demanding that UK companies are not effectively excluded from the contract before the process is officially underway.
In a letter seen exclusively by the Mirror, he tells her: “I understand that market engagement, through informal lines, is often conducted prior to the publication of the contract in order to help outline the concept phase.
“I accept that this is an important part of this process, and I would urge you not to exclude UK companies that have expressed high levels of interest in this contract.
“Many of these UK shipyards have exported designs and manufactured vessels for the overseas market in the past year, have suitable designs for Border Force vessels, and excel in many of the technologies which the Government has rightly voiced support for - in particular, fuel efficiency and other related green technologies.”
Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions general secretary Ian Waddell said: "British shipbuilders should be the first port of call for the design and manufacture of these types of vessels which we already successfully export overseas.
“There is currently a level of uncertainty about the future of the industry despite the Government's announcements about investment.
“If the Government is serious about levelling-up it must put its money where its mouth is and use procurement programmes like this to support our modern high tech industry which brings wealth to our regional economies."
The row over Border Force boats comes amid ongoing fears the Ministry of Defence will pick a foreign-led bid for the £1.5billion Fleet Solid Support ships.
The contract for three 40,000-tonne vessels to resupply Royal Navy aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates at sea is expected to be awarded later this year.
Damen is already in the running for that deal.
Four consortia were each given £5million by the MoD to develop their bids.
The shortlist includes Team UK, involving Babcock and BAE Systems; Mumbai-based Larsen & Toubro, which describes itself as “India's premier infrastructure developer”; Team Resolute, led by Spanish shipbuilders Navantia; and Damen Group.
The Home Office was approached for comment.
