Funding for children's hospices

That this House is concerned that children’s hospices are yet to receive written confirmation of how and when they will receive their NHS England Children’s Hospice Grant in the 2024-25 financial year, nor how much they are likely to receive; is concerned about the impact that this is having on children’s hospices’ ability to budget and plan their lifeline care and support to seriously ill children and families in 2024-25; is also concerned by the variation in integrated care board spending on children’s hospices across England, which varied by as much as £483 per child or young person in 2022-23, according to responses to freedom of information requests made by the charity Together for Short Lives; calls on the Government to urgently confirm how and when the £25 million NHS England Children’s Hospice Grant will be distributed in 2024-25; and further calls on the Government to direct NHS England to hold integrated care boards to greater account for the way in which they commission children and young people’s palliative and end of life care.