Minister ordered back from rugby

Sports Minister Richard Caborn was embroiled in a major row today when he was ordered home from the Rugby World Cup final in Australia to take part in a crucial Commons vote.

Mr Caborn was furious after he was told to fly back to Westminster for tomorrow night's knife-edge vote on foundation hospitals.

He protested that if he got the plane home today he would find it almost impossible to get back in time for Saturday's England-Australia clash - at which nobody from the Government would then be present.

The move threatens to deal a blow to London's hopes of landing the 2012 Olympic Games.

Another Labour MP in Sydney for the final, Derek Wyatt, was also ordered home today. Government whips have calculated that they are in danger of being defeated over Tony Blair's flagship NHS reform - despite wielding a massive majority of 164.

Mr Caborn was still in deep negotiations with government business managers as he and his aides prepared to catch a plane at Sydney airport this morning.

His spokesman said: "There's a possibility they will get to Singapore and simply turn round and go back to Sydney."

Asked how the minister felt after receiving the summons, the spokesman replied: "I can't tell you. It's before the watershed."

The cost of all flights for Mr Caborn and his team, a private secretary and a press officer, are being met by the taxpayer - as is normal for official government trips abroad. The party flew out business class, arriving last Friday, and were returning in first-class seats

Mr Wyatt, a former England rugby international and member of the all-party culture, media and sport committee, said today: "I am a politician first. I will support the Government on foundation hospitals. It is my duty."

Questioned on Mr Caborn's arrangements by Radio 5 Live, Mr Wyatt said: "He is a government minister. He has get back to vote on government policy. There should have been a fall-back plan - that if he was coming back somebody should come out on Thursday or Friday to represent the Government at the final."

However, amid intense confusion, there were reports that Mr Wyatt had been given a lastminute reprieve by government whips and was planning to stay in Sydney.

Mr Caborn is understood to be annoyed that - as well as missing England's first appearance in a Rugby World Cup final since 1991 - he is missing an opportunity to bang the drum for London's Olympics bid. International Olympic

Committee president Jacques Rogge arrives in Sydney tomorrow, followed a day later by Mr Caborn's French opposite number who will attend Thursday's Third Place playoff between his country and New Zealand.

Paris is London's chief rival in the bid to win the 2012 Games. A source close to Mr Caborn said: "We won't be there when Rogge is there, but the French will."

Government whips are pulling out all the stops in an effort to maximise turnout of ministerial supporters tomorrow night - in the face of a huge rebellion by Labour MPs.

The last time the hospital issue was debated in the Commons, during the summer, Labour's majority collapsed to just 35.

Ministers fear tomorrow night's vote could be even closer and want to do all they can to prevent a defeat which would hand new Tory leader Michael Howard a major political coup.

At a meeting last night, Mr Blair told Labour MPs the Tories are now a more formidable challenge, and that if Labour abandons plans to reform the NHS they will step in with their own proposals.