§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is available from the(a) Carer's Special Grant and (b) Quality Protects Programme to fund respite care at children's hospices; and how many hospices have received money from these grants. [119564]
§ Dr. Ladyman20 per cent. of the carers grant is available for children's services. The grant is worth £100 million in 2003–04 and will continue until at least 2006, by which time it will be £185 million. Councils should use the grant to provide services breaks to carers. Guidance is available on the Government carers website at: www.carers.gov.uk Guidance on eligibility for accessing the Quality Protects (QP) programme funding is available at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/qualityprotects/ workpro/project 6.htm
Disabled children are a priority area in the QP programme. From 2001–02 to 2003–04, £60 million for the children's services special grant has been earmarked for services for disabled children and their families, with £15 million in 2001–02 and 2002–03 and £30 million in 2003–04. One of the areas local authorities have been told that expenditure should be targeted on is increased provision of family support services, including short-term breaks.
We do not collect details of how much of the funding is used to fund respite care at children's hospices, nor the number of hospices that have received money from these grants.