The former investment bankers responsible for managing the UK government's 80% stake in Royal Bank of Scotland today provided new details of plans to re-privatise the holding.

Appearing before the UK's Treasury Select Committee, James Leigh-Pemberton, executive chairman of UK Financial Investments, said RBS had made good progress this year and said of a potential sale: "We are closer. I mentioned earlier that there is a higher level of investor interest than we were experiencing this time last year."