§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage of the running and capital costs of the Northern Ireland Hospice they fund; and what plans they have to increase funding. [HL987]
§ The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn)This year the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Eastern and Northern Health and Social Services Boards have provided a total of £1,448,208 in revenue funding to the Northern Ireland Hospice at Somerton Road, Belfast. This amounts to over 32 per cent of the hospice's anticipated revenue expenditure of £4.5 million in 2002–03.
In relation to capital costs, no requests for capital funding have been received from the Northern Ireland Hospice in the current year and no capital funding has been provided.
At this stage, it is too early for the department or boards to have reached agreement on the level of funding for 2003–04.