Shipyard boss of the Harland and Wolff Group has warned the lack of a Stormont government is putting future investment at the marine engineering facility in jeopardy.

The Chief Executive, John Wood reports BBC News, said he is frustrated by the current political vacuum and he added that the "time for playing games is over".

Across the Irish Sea during a Conservative Party Conference held in Manchester is where the Chief Executive was speaking at the four-day gathering in north-west England.

Mr Wood was also due to attend a reception with the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak where Afloat adds his keynote speech delivered today (4th Oct) concluded this lunch hour and that of the conference.

The PM’s speech followed those from among them, Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons, who recently paid a visit to the Belfast shipyard during upgrade works in advance of the MoD’s naval FSS contract.

The Chief Executive said that Harland & Wolff are hoping to increase their workforce to around 2,500 workers over the next 18 months, however he said it will be "problematic" without a functioning executive in place.

More here on issues facing the Belfast shipyard including those of energy supply, given a forthcoming contract to refit up to 16 cruise ships, in which Mr Woods added the need for government involvement.

The CEO of Scottish shipyard, Ferguson Marine, David Tydeman has said that the vessel was working and that operationally everything was in place to take the ferry “down the river” Clyde.

The duel-fuel powered ferry and un-named twin known as hull 802 are more than five years late and £500m over budget, and remain at their construction yard of Ferguson Marine Ltd in Port Glasgow.

According to Mr Tydeman, the day when Glen Sannox is pressed into service is fast approaching, as work continues apace to get it shipshape.

Yesterday, the wheelhouse of hull 802 was lowered into place, completing another milestone on its journey towards seaworthiness.

More from HeraldScotland on this development.

Both passenger/car ferries Afloat adds are to serve CalMac with the Glen Sannox on the Firth of Clyde route of Ardrossan-Brodick, Isle of Arran.

As for the twin newbuild, this ferry is expected to enter service on the Outer Hebrides between Uig and Harris and North Ust.