OPINION, whether heard on the High Street, radio phone-ins or in the office canteen, is divided on the collapse of MG Rover.

Of its collapse, of course, there can be no doubt. But whether or not the Government should be stepping in with great wedges of cash has the nation divided.

There are some who would argue that, while they are sympathetic to the plight of the now redundant car workers, we are not talking about a state-run industry. Rover stopped being British Leyland a long time ago.

Tax-payers should not be held to account for the failings of a private enterprise.

After all, when NatWest made three times as many people redundant following the Royal Bank of Scotland takeover, no package was put in place for the bankers and their families.

On the other hand, whole communities in the West Midlands are at risk given the scale of the car company's demise.

More than 100 firms in Worcestershire and Herefordshire are now in crisis, according to the Chamber of Commerce. Jobs will be lost. Families will suffer.

The chamber, we are told, will be providing eligible firms with £50 per employee, per day, for the next month to help them out.

But the chamber has refused to tell us the names of the firms. Why? The money it is offering comes from our pockets.

We are not against those workers that have been worst affected by this disaster being helped to get back on their feet. But we do object to being kept in the dark.