Her move comes in the wake of the decision by Norwich Union to switch 350 posts from Dundee to Perth, while it was also announced yesterday that HM Revenue and Customs is to axe 44 staff by 2011.

Ms Glen said, “The city has continually promoted its strengths of attraction for incoming industry. These include possessing a high-skilled workforce and an innovative university sector, and being a good place to work and to raise a family.

“I am asking the Enterprise Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to revitalise Dundee’s jobs prospects after the Norwich Union blow.”

Ms Glen added she would also be raising with the Scottish Government the need to relocate more Civil Service jobs to the city following the HMRC announcement.

As the Tele revealed yesterday, HM Revenue and Customs has begun an eight-week consultation on nationwide changes, which leave almost 70 jobs in Dundee and Perth under threat.

Although the office at Caledonian House in Dundee is to be retained, projected staff figures show a reduction in the number of employees there by 2011.

The planned cutbacks — although less swingeing than previously feared — were nonetheless condemned by trade unions and politicians.

The announcement came just days after the Norwich Union jobs switch bombshell, branded a “body blow” by economic development convener Joe Morrow.

In the past 18 months, there have been redundancies at companies such as NCR, Texol and Wood Group as the manufacturing sector bore the brunt of the local job cuts.

Meanwhile, an SNP councillor in Dundee sought to spark a political row today over the HMRC decision to shed 44 Dundee jobs.

Councillor Jim Barrie, the SNP candidate for Dundee West at the next General Election, accused current MP Jim McGovern of attempting to switch the blame for the job losses to the Scottish Government.

Labour MP Mr McGovern, expressing disappointment at the job losses, had said it was “now more important than ever that the SNP honour their manifesto commitment to redistribute Scottish Civil Service jobs throughout Scotland, rather than have them clustered in Edinburgh.”

Councillor Barrie said the MP was “trying to blame the Scottish Government for these cuts” when he should be working to get the UK Government to help Dundee with more civil service jobs.

“Dispersing Civil Service jobs is one of the few tools the UK Government has to create jobs in unemployment blackspots and areas,” said Councillor Barrie.

“Instead of trying to blame the Scottish Government, which is starting to deliver jobs for Dundee — including bringing the national police forensic lab and the £10m Scottish Institute for Cell Signalling to the city — Mr McGovern should be working to make Dundee’s case at Westminster for UK Civil Service jobs.”