Children’s Hospices: Funding

John McDonnell Excerpts

Wednesday 30th October 2024 Westminster Hall

[John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Ind)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) not just on securing the debate, but on his work over the past couple of months or so on raising the funds for Zoe’s Place. He rounded up every Scouser he knew, including those of us who live in exile, and asked them to contribute in some way.

My contribution, to which my hon. Friend made reference, was to do a rendition of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” on the trombone—[Interruption.] “Oh dear”, I agree, but let us be charitable about this. The video was used to say, “If you don’t pay the money, we will keep on playing it.” My brother Brian, an ardent Liverpool supporter, contacted me to ask, “Why were you playing ‘Three Blind Mice’?” This man, my hon. Friend, has nearly raised the money, but I want the message to get out there: we are not yet over the line, and we need it for such a valuable resource.

I also congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Dame Siobhain McDonagh) for her work in the all-party group for children who need palliative care. She and Lord Balfe met the Minister, and I believe it was a helpful ministerial meeting. I reiterate the requests that she made of the Minister: the idea of at least extending the £25 million is key, and ensuring that it is ringfenced. It is not that we do not trust the ICBs—eventually they will get into action and will be geared up—but if the money goes directly to them, this will be compete against their other priorities and it is difficult to see how it could be maintained and secure for the future.

Another petition has been raised as well, by Corin Dalby, who wrote to me, calling for £100 million of the money that is raised in fines by the Financial Conduct Authority to be transferred to hospice funding. I think that is worth looking at to fill a short-term gap in the coming period, but the long-term issue is exactly as my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden said: we need a comprehensive plan. We accept that that could be a 10-year plan, but people want security over time. I want to see that money integrated into Government funding. Of course, charities raise funds, but additional funds—overall, I think it has to be core funding.

I want to make one final point. I chair a group of unpaid carers, and have done so for the past two years. For someone who is an unpaid carer in this country at the moment, whether they are looking after someone who is sick or a child with a terminal diagnosis, they have almost certainly been thrust to the edge of poverty, because the carer’s allowance is so little. That causes untold worry and stress for those parents, which is unnecessary.

We will see what happens in the Budget today, but I put in a plea and hope that the Government will address the carer’s allowance. It needs a dramatic uplift, which would help to alleviate some of the stress and pressures placed on parents looking after children with a terminal diagnosis.