§ Mr. PageTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2002,Official Report, column 380W, on palliative care, if he will estimate the percentage of the additional £50 million to go to the specialist palliative care costs which will be available to the voluntary sector hospices. [37054]
§ Yvette Cooper[holding answer 25 February 2002]: The level of funding voluntary hospices receive is a matter for local decision based on a strategic view of local palliative care services. We have required all cancer networks to develop costed strategic investment plans for palliative care, which will inform the wider National Health Service planning process through health improvement programmes and service and financial frameworks for 2002–03. The strategic plans they develop will reflect local population needs and are part of the cancer network service delivery plans. This mechanism will help us address the current inequalities in palliative care service provision across both NHS and voluntary providers.
§ Mr. BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase hospice funding; and if he will make a statement. [38079]
§ Yvette CooperThe NHS Cancer Plan set out our commitment to increase National Health Service investment in specialist palliative care (including hospices) by £50 million by 2004. This investment is intended to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. We have commissioned NICE to develop evidence-based guidance on palliative care to assist cancer networks, including voluntary hospices, to identify core services.