Prime Minister David Cameron has said parliament will sit for an extra day to consider Tuesday's select committee hearings into phone hacking and police corruption.
Speaking from Johannesburg in South Africa he said it would be "right" to make a statement to parliament on Wednesday and answer questions arising from the hearings.
"I think it may well be right for parliament to meet on Wednesday so I can make a further statement update the house on the final parts of this judicial inquiry and answer any questions that arise from what is being announced today and tomorrow," he said.
Responding to questions over supposed parallels between his hiring of Andy Coulson, former News of The World editor, and hiring of Neil Wallis, a former paper executive, by the Metropolitan police, he said: "The situation in the Metropolitan police service is quite different to the situation in government, not least as the issues that have emerged and the Met are looking at have a direct bearing on the police inquiry."
His comments came after Labour Leader Ed Miliband urged parliament to sit for an extra day on Wednesday to discuss the phone hacking crisis.
He is expected to say in a speech on Monday that extending the parliamentary session would be the "right and responsible thing for the government to do".
"Rebekah Brooks has been arrested, the Metropolitan police commissioner has resigned, tomorrow we will have some of the most important select committee hearings in modern times and the prime minister has decided to leave the country, not to return until after parliament breaks up for summer," he said.
"In these circumstances the right and responsible thing for the government to do must be to extend the parliamentary session for at least 24 hours so the House of Commons meets on Wednesday.
"It would give MPs have the chance to debate the issues arising from the select committee hearings and ensure the prime minister answers the many unanswered questions that he faces.
"Unless the government agrees to parliament meeting on Wednesday, MPs cannot do their jobs properly and the prime minister has no chance of sorting out this crisis."
The Commons culture select committee will question Rebekah Brooks, former News International chief executive, along with Rupert Murdoch, the News Corp chairman, and his son James, who looks after the company's Asia and Europe interests, at a hearing on Tuesday.
Brooks, who was arrested on Sunday night, is still expected to appear on Tuesday, a spokesman told the BBC's Robert Peston reported. However Sean Dilley, a parliamentary lobby journalist, wrote in the Huffington Post UK that parliament could postpone her session.
Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, will also appear as a witness before a Home Affairs Select Committee on the same day. Sir Paul announced he would step down from the job on Sunday following criticism for his links to Neil Wallis.
Separately, David Cameron defended his decision to go to Africa just as the phone hacking saga deepened, saying he had a duty to promote British trade.
"I think it is right for Britain to be engaged with South Africa and Africa as a whole," Cameron said. "There is a huge opportunity for trade, growth, jobs including jobs at home in the UK and I think it is right for the British prime minister to be out there with British businesses."
He added that he was still in constant contact with his staff in the UK. "Just because you're travelling to Africa doesn't mean you suddenly lose contact with your office," he said. "The government is pressing ahead on all of the fronts that I set out in my statement last week."