To ask the Secretary of State for Health

(1) when his departmental budget received the new money for hospices announced in the Chancellor's last Budget; when he (a) intends to and (b) has delivered this to hospices, and in what form; and if he will make a statement;

(2) on what date the money he announced for hospices in his last Budget was provided to his Department's budget;

(3) when the new money for hospices announced in the last Budget will be paid directly to hospices.

holding answer 1 February 2002

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's last Budget, on 8 March 2001, did not include an announcement of new money for hospices. Funding to increase investment in specialist palliative care was included in the resources to support implementation of the NHS Cancer Plan. The overall increased investment for implementing the Cancer Plan includes an additional £50 million for specialist palliative care by 2004. This investment is intended to help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care and enable the national health service to increase their contribution to the cost hospices incur in providing agreed levels of service. This will mean that NHS investment in specialist palliative services will match that of the voluntary sector.