Caborn: On his way home

Richard Caborn was ordered back to boost the government's chances in a crucial Commons vote on foundation hospitals.

The recall led to criticism there would be no minister at Saturday's match but it later emerged that culture Secretary Tessa Jowell is flying out.

The culture department said Mr Caborn could yet fly back out after the vote on Wednesday evening in London.

New Conservative leader Michael Howard said that if the government lost the vote on Wednesday it would be "shaken to its foundations".

Labour rebel and former government minister Frank Field said there was a very good chance that his party's leadership would lose the vote.

'Bitterly disappointed'

A spokeswoman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said that although there were no plans for Mr Caborn to return to Australia because of the flying time involved, it remained a possibility.

Mr Caborn was "bitterly disappointed" at having to miss the final after attending England's 24-7 victory over France in the semi-finals, the spokesman said.

The minister will miss England's star fly-half Jonny Wilkinson in action

Labour whips have warned that the vote on its flagship Health and Social Care Bill - which includes the proposed introduction of foundation hospitals - will be extremely close and they cannot afford any government supporters to be absent.

The DCMS spokeswoman said Ms Jowell would vote before flying out to Australia on Thursday.

Mr Howard told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: "If a government elected with as large a majority as this one actually loses a vote in the House of Commons the consequences would be extremely serious.

"I think it would shake the government to its foundations."

Asked if it could lead to an election Mr Howard said: "Well that's difficult to tell but it would be difficult to exaggerate the seriousness of it."

'Disgrace'

Mr Field told the same programme that he wanted the NHS to be reformed from being the last nationalised industry to a service that was responsive to consumers but the plans for foundation hospitals would create "chaos".

He urged the government to listen to its backbenches.

"If they stubbornly try to push this reform through in its entirety, irrespective of what people have been telling them for many, many months then they stand a very good chance of losing this part of the Bill."

But former Labour whip Graham Allen said that although he had originally voted against the foundation hospitals bill at second reading he now planned to support the government.

"I hope that lessons have been learnt at No 10 and that policies like this and university fees will not be dropped on the Parliamentary Labour Party in future and secondly because I refuse to help Michael Howard get off to a winning start just 18 months before a general election," he said.