Nadhim Zahawi MP is the MP for Stratford on Avon. Follow Nadhim on Twitter.
The publication of RBS's first quarter results last week, which saw the bank move from a £1.5bn loss to an £826m profit, has re-opened the debate about what to do with the Government's 81% stake.
What's clear is that those inside RBS believe that the bank will soon be ready to return to privatised ownership. Both Stephen Hester, the bank's CEO and Sir Philip Hampton, RBS's chairman, commented as such this week. What isn't clear though is exactly how the government will choose to do it, and when.
One option is to simply sell the shares at their current value, taking a loss on the 407p a share book price, but seeing that loss offset by the benefit of returning RBS to the private sector. Although were that to be done today then, at the current share price of around 288p, a loss of about £13bn to the country's permanent debt would be transferred to the national debt.
There have been many mechanisms proposed for such a sell-off, from a sale to institutional investors to a 'Tell Sid' style public offering at a discounted price. But as both approaches would see the government make a loss, neither see the public gain from their investment in the firm.