Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) adult’s and (b) children’s hospices with the cost of living.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, is commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs) in response to the needs of their local population. Charities, including hospices, have already benefitted from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ended on 31 March 2023, and provided £7 billion of support. Eligible organisations, including hospices, will continue to get baseline discount support on gas and electricity bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.
At a national level, NHS England has released £1.5 billion additional funding to ICBs to provide support for inflation, with ICBs deciding how best to distribute this funding within their systems, including to palliative and end of life care providers such as hospices.
Additionally, NHS England has invested £25 million in the Children and Young People hospice grant in the financial year 2023/24 to provide care closer to home for those seriously ill as and when they need it.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of (a) the cost of living crisis and (b) increasing staffing costs on the sustainability of hospice services.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the importance of palliative and end of life care for patients and those important to them. Palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, is commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs) in response to the needs of their local population. Any assessment would, therefore, be made at a local level.
Charities, including hospices, have already benefitted from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ended on 31 March and provided £7 billion of support. Eligible organisations, including hospices, will continue to get baseline discount support on gas and electricity bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.
At a national level, NHS England has released £1.5 billion additional funding to ICBs to provide support for inflation, with ICBs deciding how best to distribute this funding within their systems, including to palliative and end of life care providers such as hospices.
Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations that remain free to set salary rates along with other terms and conditions at a level that reflects the skills and experience of their staff.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that hospices are able to continue to support patients following recent increases in the cost of living.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the importance of palliative and end of life care for patients and those important to them. Palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, is commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs) in response to the needs of their local population. Any assessment would, therefore, be made at a local level.
Charities, including hospices, have already benefitted from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme which ended on 31 March and provided £7 billion of support. Eligible organisations, including hospices, will continue to get baseline discount support on gas and electricity bills under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme from 1 April 2023 until 31 March 2024.
At a national level, NHS England has released £1.5 billion additional funding to ICBs to provide support for inflation, with ICBs deciding how best to distribute this funding within their systems, including to palliative and end of life care providers such as hospices.
Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations that remain free to set salary rates along with other terms and conditions at a level that reflects the skills and experience of their staff.
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme in meeting the needs of the hospice sector.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As part of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme review, the Government assessed a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence from businesses and stakeholders, including hospices, on sectors that may be most affected by rising energy prices based on energy and trade intensity. The Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April until March 2024, and will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including hospices.
The Government recognises the vital role that charities and the voluntary sector, including hospices play in our communities. That is why my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Spring Budget additional funding of over £100m for charities and community organisations who are impacted by high energy costs.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2023 to Question 151378 on Hospices Energy, what his Department's current assessment is of the impact of the cost of energy on the hospice sector.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible charities, including hospices and care homes, are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. Although no specific assessment has been made in regard to hospices, following a Treasury-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme which will run from April 2023 until March 2024, will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including the health and care sector.
Asked by: Martin Docherty-Hughes (Scottish National Party - West Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support is available for (a) hospices and (b) care homes to meet their energy costs.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible charities, including hospices and care homes, are protected from high energy costs over the winter period. Following an HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April 2023 until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including the health and care sector. Both energy schemes apply across all of the United Kingdom, including Scotland. The Government will continue to engage with devolved administrations in its design and implementation plans for the new scheme.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the impact of the cost of energy on the financial viability of hospices.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Discussions have taken place and will continue to take place with a number of charities and businesses regarding increased energy costs, and Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the hospice sector.
This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme was introduced, shielding eligible non-domestic customers from soaring energy prices. Following a HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April until March 2024, and will continue to provide a discount to eligible non- domestic customers, including the hospice sector.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will hold discussions with representatives of the hospice sector on the impact of rising energy bills on UK hospices.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Discussions have taken place with a number of charities and businesses regarding increased energy costs and the Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the hospice sector.
This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been introduced, shielding eligible non-domestic customers from soaring energy prices. Following an Treasury-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme, will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non- domestic customers, including the hospice sector.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to support hospices with energy costs after the Energy Bill Relief Scheme comes to an end in March; and what conversations, if any, they have had with Hospice UK about rising energy costs.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Discussions have taken place with a number of charities and businesses regarding increased energy costs, and the Government is aware of the impact this is having on the hospice sector. The Government will continue to provide support through the recently announced Energy Bill Discount Scheme, which will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including the hospice sector.
Asked by: Lord Mendelsohn (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have met with representatives of the UK hospice sector specifically to discuss the impact of increased energy prices on hospices.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Discussions have taken place with a number of charities and businesses regarding increased energy costs and the Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the hospice sector.
This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme was introduced, shielding eligible non-domestic customers from soaring energy prices. Following an HMT-led review, the new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April until March 2024, and continue to provide a discount to eligible non- domestic customers, including the hospice sector.