Elderly care 'biggest social issue'

The Tories refused to attend a conference called by Mr Burnham involving charities, local authorities and care providers to discuss a national care service for England, branding it a "Labour Party political ploy".

But opening the talks in London, the Health Secretary said his aim was to "take party politics out of this issue".

"It is bigger than any single political party," he told delegates.

"No one political party has a monopoly on the ideas needed to build a lasting consensus on this issue."

Tory Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley earlier said he would not take part amid fears about Labour plans to fund a care service by introducing a compulsory charge of up to 20,000 that could be levied on an individual's estate after they die – dubbed the "death tax" by the Tories.

Mr Burnham called yesterday's meeting after the acrimonious breakdown of secret talks with his Tory and Liberal Democrat counterparts.

Addressing delegates, the Health Secretary said it was the "most important issue facing the country today".

He said that when the Government published its proposals on elderly care, he had wanted to make it an issue ahead of the General Election and had succeeded in doing so.

And thanking delegates for attending the conference, he said he wanted to take "further steps towards building a lasting consensus".

Labour detailed a range of suggestions last year on how the current means-tested system could be overhauled.

One of the options was a compulsory fee of up to 20,000 which could be taken from an individual's estate after death.

The Tories favour a voluntary option, Mr Lansley saying: "We want to have a partnership between the state and individuals. We want to give people the option of taking out insurance so they don't have to sell their home."

And he added: "I will talk to anybody, anytime, anywhere, but I won't take part in a Labour Party political smokescreen that stops people making progress and covers up the fact that they are pursuing the option of a compulsory death tax."

In a letter to conference participants, Mr Burnham acknowledged that all funding options had their "pros and cons".

"A voluntary option gives people more choice and control but will not cover everyone.

"A compulsory option provides peace of mind and care free at the point of use when needed, but restricts choice," he said.

He said that all three main parties accepted that care costs could not be funded out of general taxation alone and that individuals would have to make some contribution.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb – who was present at today's conference – published a draft statement of principles of social care which was drawn up after the original cross-party talks.

Based on what was discussed, it proposed establishing a "cross-party commission" to agree a reform package which would be "sustainable in the long term and which can command public support". It would have featured one representative from each party under an independent chair, aiming to report within a year with legislation to follow "as soon as possible".