Sir Keir Starmer is facing demands to exempt hospices from his government's rise to national insurance contributions.

The request was made to the Prime Minister in the Commons this afternoon by the Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and follows concerns across both the private and public sector about the extra costs they will incur from April when the increase is introduced.

MPs are due to debate assisted dying legislation on Friday. They will vote according to their own conscience, which means MPs are not whipped.

Speaking today Davey told Starmer at Prime Ministers Questions about the case of a man who died "in excruciating pain" after end of life care was withdrawn because of NHS cuts in England.

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"Christine's father was told that he needed end of life care, but after a few days it was removed due to funding cuts. He was told that he wouldn't get it and he died a few weeks later in excruciating pain," said Davey.

"Christine said it was terrible to watch him suffer. Does the Prime Minister agree that whatever the House decides on Friday, it is urgent to improve access to high quality end of life care? 

"Will he make that a key focus of the 10 year NHS plan, and will he commit now to protect hospices from the national insurance rise?"

The Prime Minister did not commit to Davey's appeal in his response.

"Thank you for raising that case, and I think the thoughts of the whole house with the family involved," he said.

"Obviously it's a very important vote on Friday, but whichever way that vote goes, we must invest properly in care across our health service, and that's why, in addition to putting the NHS back on its feet, we're putting forward a 10 year plan to make sure the NHS can give to care that everybody would expect across the spectrum, including end of life care."

Davey replied: "Can I thank the Prime minister for that reply, and I hope we'll hear more from ministers, particularly hospices and nationals insurance in days to come."

Davey also went on to reiterate calls to the Prime Minister to restore winter fuel payments for pensioners in light of rising energy bills.

He told the Commons: “Ofgem said that in January energy bills would go up again after last month’s 10% rise.

"Millions of people are really worried about how they’re going to make ends meet this winter, not least hundreds of thousands of pensioners who are in poverty but above the pension credit limit, who will now lose winter fuel payments.

“So with energy bills going up again, will the Prime Minister reconsider and restore winter fuel payments?”

Starmer replied: “Obviously the whole House is concerned about energy bills, which are actually lower this year than they were last year. The long-term way to deal with this is clean power by 2030 to make sure we drive those energy bills down on a permanent basis, and that is what we will do.

“On the winter fuel allowance, he knows very well what the Government’s position is and I have rehearsed it, indeed with him, many times.”