Ken Clarke has indicated that MPs may be given a free vote on any move to grant rape defendants anonymity.
The justice secretary was speaking during question time in the Commons this afternoon.
"I'm not responsible for whipping in this House, but all three parties would prefer a free vote on the issue," he said.
But Clarke appeared to qualify his statement by reminding MPs it was not up to him to decide what would be a free vote.
"I have no responsibility or control of whipping arrangements of any political parties in this House," he said.
Early legislation on the issue was "not likely", he added.
Clarke also confirmed that the proposal came from the Liberal Democrats during the coalition negotiations.
He said the programme for government was derived from the existing policies of "one or both" of the governing parties.
This particular policy "was adopted as policy by the Lib Dem's while in opposition", he said.
Shadow justice minister Maria Eagle said it had been a "mystery" where the policy came from.
"Can he enlighten the House why, over that weekend, when there were negations between Lib Dem's and Conservatives, this matter suddenly became a major priority when it hadn’t been in either manifesto?" she asked.
"How many women were involved in those negotiations?" she added.
Clarke said he had not been involved in the negotiations himself but denied the policy had not been examined by women.
"The idea this is some male decision to the exclusion of female sensitivity is, frankly, wide of the mark," he said.
Former Labour minister Kevin Brennan criticised Clarke for acting as if he was simply presenting a issue for debate rather than concrete government policy.
"It's in his programme of government," he said.
And fellow Labour backbencher Caroline Flint asked why Clarke believed those accused of rape "uniquely" needed further protection.
The public is far more hostile to paedophiles and murderers, so why does he choose to extend the anonymity to those accused of rape?" she asked.
Clarke said the strongest argument for anonymity was cases where the victim has anonymity.
"Where the victim is allowed anonymity all the way through there is a case for giving anonymity to person is accused," he said.
The justice secretary expressed surprise that "so many questions" were being raised about a proposition that had been "before this House on and off for twenty years".
