Gordon Brown is to reconsider plans to auction a collection of Whitehall silver, it was announced yesterday.

The selection of candle sticks, meat skewers, trays and candle snuffers was originally put up for sale as part of a government-wide asset disposal programme.

However, after MPs accused Brown of "flogging the family silver", Treasury officials said yesterday that they were prepared "to listen very carefully" to representatives from museums and specialists from the arts about finding an alternative to auction.