The government has been urged to sell off some of its fine and rare Bordeaux and Burgundy to help ease the economic situation.

Labour MP Tom Watson has repeatedly made Freedom of Information requests to see a full stock list of the government's wine cellar, finally getting hold of the details this week.

Highlights of the list include a 1978 Chateau Petrus worth more than £2,500, and a 1955 Chateau Latour valued in excess of £1,000.

Other choice bottles include a 1961 Chateau Margaux and a magnum of 1982 Krug champagne.

Mr Watson believes that some of the expensive wines should be put up for auction, in line with the current austerity drive in the public sector.

"They should sell the good stuff to make ends meet. As the economy heads back into recession nobody will serious believe that we are all in this together when ministers are quaffing wines at £200 a bottle," he said.

The Japanese government ordered the sale of a number of fine wines recently, after it discovered its foreign embassies were sitting on huge stockpiles of Bordeaux and Burgundy.