Short respite breaks for terminally ill children and their families

That this House recognises that short breaks for respite are a lifeline for terminally ill children and their families; notes new evidence by Pro Bono Economics which estimates that parents of children who need respite delivered by children’s palliative care providers experience significantly less stress as a result of receiving breaks; further highlights that these short breaks result in better physical and mental health for parents, a reduction in families needing NHS primary care and mental health services, and in parents needing to take fewer days off work as a result of sickness; understands that many families who need short breaks are currently unable to access them; and urges the Government to fill the £434 million gap in annual funding for social care services for all disabled children in England and their families by creating an annual ring-fenced grant as part of the 2020 Spending Review.