§ Mr. GallieTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the establishment of a children's hospice in Scotland.
§ Mr. LangThe statement which my hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Local Government made on 2 December 1992 indicated that we accepted there was sufficient evidence of demand to support the establishment of a children's hospice in Scotland. We also believe that, having taken the initiative, the voluntary sector, as is the case with adult hospices, is best placed to develop such a project. While we remain convinced of the advantages of a combined effort by all those interested in taking this matter forward, we also believe that such an effort will be enhanced if there is a clear national focus for the activity. We have therefore decided to support the Children's Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) in its proposal to provide a children's hospice suitably located to meet the demand from all parts of Scotland. I strongly urge all those with an interest in this development to add their efforts to those of CHAS. The Government are showing their support of CHAS in a tangible way by awarding them a grant under section 16B of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 as a contribution towards their core administrative costs.