§ 2.40 p.m.
§ Lord Harris of GreenwichMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make an additional payment to Macclesfield Health Authority to enable it to contribute its full promised grant to the new East Cheshire Hospice.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Security (Lord Skelmersdale)My Lords, the Government are pleased to say that agreement has been reached between the East Cheshire Hospice Committee and Macclesfield Health Authority on the revised timescale and amounts to be contributed to the hospice by the health authority. The hospice's plans to receive its first patients early in the New Year have not been affected by this revision.
§ Lord Harris of GreenwichMy Lords, I welcome that reply and thank the noble Lord for it. Does the reply mean that the hospice will be able to take all 16 patients it is planned to take?
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, as I understand it the hospice intended to phase in its total complement of beds over a period. What my reply meant was that the first tranche will go ahead as expected.
§ Lord Harris of GreenwichMy Lords, with respect, will money be made available to provide the full 16 beds which the Macclesfield Health Authority undertook to make available?
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, over a period, yes. That period is now expected to be five years.