Ministers have come under renewed pressure to abandon their policy on long term care for the elderly after the Liberal Democrats pledged to make it an election issue.
The government wants free nursing care for the elderly in residential homes, but has rejected calls to make personal care - help with washing, eating and dressing, for example - available for free.
MPs will today debate the issue at the parliamentary standing committee scrutinising the health and social care bill.
The Liberal Democrats are expected to press for an amendment to the bill to enable free personal care, although it is unlikely to succeed given Labour's inbuilt majority on the committee.
The government's own royal commission on long term care headed by Sir Stewart Sutherland recommended that personal care should be funded by the taxpayer. But ministers refused to support this proposal, arguing that it would not be cost effective.
Yesterday the government defended its stance on long term care in a Commons debate called by the Liberal Democrats. Health minister Gisele Stuart said its policy would lead to better services for old people.
The Conservatives supported the government, saying the cost of free care would be better spent elsewhere in the NHS, even though the Tories in Scotland have backed the Liberal Democrats in campaining for free personal care north of the border
Last month the Scottish executive provoked the wrath of the UK government after it pushed ahead with proposals to accept the Sutherland report recommendations in full, after coming under pressure from the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National party in the Scottish parliament.
The Liberal Democrats said yesterday that free personal care for the elderly would be a central plank of the party's health policy in its manifesto for the general election.
Party leader Charles Kennedy called for a UK wide debate on "delivering a care system fair and fit for all" and warned that Labour's policy would not lift the pressure on elderly people forced to sell their homes to pay for their care.
