To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the (a) allocation by his Department and (b) expenditure by each health authority for supporting children's hospice services in each of the last four years. [78877]

Health authorities receive general allocations to allow them to commission health services for their resident populations, including services to meet the needs of children suffering from life threatening and terminal conditions provided through children's hospices. Information on the amount health authorities spend from their general allocation on these services is not collected centrally.