No jacket required: Bush's gift for PM is gathering dust

The idea of the Prime Minister wearing a personalised brown bomber jacket bearing the US presidential seal and the label "Rt Hon Gordon Brown" always seemed far-fetched.

The gift from President George Bush, handed to Mr Brown as they ended get-to-know-you talks at Camp David last July, was a surprise choice given the Prime Minister's preference for sober suits and ties.

Downing Street confirmed yesterday that the unexpected present from the most powerful man on earth was gathering dust in a government cupboard.

Yesterday's list of ministerial gifts over the past year showed that the jacket, and a leather holdall, had been spurned by Mr Brown and was "held by the department".

By contrast, Tony Blair paid £500 to keep a picture given to him by President Bush to commemorate his decade in power. He also forked out £400 to take home a pewter tea set from the Libyan government, £350 for a silver tray from officials restoring the old town in the Libyan capital Tripoli and £250 for a porcelain figure from the German government.

Whitehall rules state that ministers must pay to keep gifts valued at more than £140. Unwanted presents, such as the Prime Minister's jacket, are retained by the Government.

Mr Brown was not tempted by any of the gifts he received in his early days in office. They include wine from the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and whisky from the pop impresario Simon Fuller. Both presents were passed on for use at Whitehall receptions and dinners.

He also chose not to buy a model of a fishing boat from the President of the Maldives, a commemorative coin from the President of Ethiopia, a stone bowl from Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a clock and jewellery from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and a rug from Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf. All were retained by the Government.

The Government also kept a handbag which was presented to Sarah Brown by Kenneth Sitomer, an American businessman.

Hampers given to the Prime Minister by the curry tycoon Sir Gulam Noon, the Sultan of Brunei and the ambassadors of Oman, Qatar and Bahrain were donated to charity.