§ Jeff Ennis (Barnsley, East and Mexborough) (Lab)I wish to present a petition on behalf of my constituent, Mr. Peter Finnegan, and several thousand residents from my constituency and throughout South Yorkshire to protest at what is perceived to be the iniquitous level of national health service funding being allocated to children's hospices when compared with that allocated to adult hospices.
The petition states:—
To the House of Commons
The petition of Mr. Peter Finnegan and residents of South Yorkshire
Declares that while adult hospices receive 37 per cent. of their funds from statutory sources, children's hospices receive only 4.17 per cent. of their funds in this way. Children with life-threatening illnesses and their parents need adequate hospice facilities, and the gap between the funding allocations to adult hospice facilities and to services for children is unfair to children and their parents.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for Health to review hospice services for children. The petitioners further request that the House of Commons pass legislation to rectify the imbalance in funding allocations to children's and adult hospices.
And the petitioners remain, etc.
To lie upon the Table.