The British government wants to see Rolls Royce jobs stay in the country when the car company is sold, but insisted in the House of Commons yesterday that the sale itself was a "commercial decision" for its owners.

It was announced earlier this week that Rolls Royce Motor Cars was to be sold off by parent company Vickers. Vickers has appointed City of London advisers to help with the disposal, which analysts expect to attract strong interest from other car makers. Among those tipped as possible buyers are Ford, BMW and Ferrari.