Prime Minister provides Christopher's Hospice with cold comfort this Christmas

2.55.05pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 15th Dec 2004

Guildford MP Sue Doughty has today questioned the Prime Minister in Parliament about the Government's failure to provide any financial support for Children's hospices, such as Christopher's, which is in the Guildford area.

Sue said:

"Christopher's hospice provides an essential service to our community. They will be working throughout the holidays with at least four families booked in for Christmas. But while many generous fund raisers are contributing magnificently to Christopher's, the Government are still playing scrooge towards the most vulnerable children in our community.

"The Prime Minister doesn't seem to understand that a problem exists. He may say that more funding is going to the NHS, but he is so detached from the domestic agenda that he has no idea where that funding is ending up on the ground.

"I want to see a clear commitment from the Government that they will find a way of ensuring that public funds start reaching children's hospices to give them a comparable level of support to that received by adult hospices."