§ Mr. WoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the £12 million announced on 26 December 2003 for palliative care will be available to hospices. [167052]
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§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe additional £12 million investment over three years announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 26 December 2003 follows on from the commitment in the recent Command Paper "Building on the Best".
This additional money is not intended for hospices. It is to be used to ensure that, by widening the pool of generalist staff, in primary care, in care homes and in hospitals, who are trained in meeting the needs of people nearing the end of their lives, patients—regardless of their diagnosis—will have access to high quality palliative care so that they will be able to be cared for and to die in a place of their choice.