To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding her Department provided to (a) children’s and (b) adults’ hospices in each of the last five years for which figures are available; how much she expects to be spent in future years; and if she will make a statement. (133382)

This information is not available centrally. The level of funding a hospice receives is a matter for local negotiation between the local primary care trust, who are responsible for commissioning and funding palliative care services locally, and the hospice.

The Government have delivered on their commitment to make an additional £50 million per annum available for specialist palliative care for adults. The money is now recurrent in PCT baseline allocations. In April 2007, we announced the allocation of £40 million capital funds for adults’ hospices to improve their physical environments.

In September 2006, a fund of up to £10 million was also announced to support Marie Curie Cancer Care’s major capital modernisation programme of hospices in North London and Birmingham. The business case has been approved, although the final details have yet to be agreed.

Voluntary sector children’s hospices are receiving funding of £27 million between 2006-07 and 2008-09. They have already been given the first tranche of £9 million in 2006-07.