Elderly care "most important issue facing the country"

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 said.

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

Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley earlier said he would not take part amid fears 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 the meeting after the acrimonious breakdown of secret talks with his Conservative and Liberal Democrat counterparts aimed at establishing cross-party consensus on the matter.

The Health Secretary said it was the "most important issue facing the country today".

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

One option 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, with Mr Lansley saying:"We want to give people the option of taking out insurance so they don't have to sell their home.

"I want people to have the choice but the Government want people to be subject to their compulsory levy."

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

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".