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| Bury Free Press, 9 April 2002 |
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| LONG-running plea to the Government for extra cash for independent hospices such as St Nicholas' in Bury St Edmunds was strengthened this week in the House of Commons. |
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| David Ruffley MP has signed an Early Day Motion in the Commons calling on the Government to urgently increase funding for hospices. |
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| He said: "I believe this Commons motion that I have signed today is crucial because, frankly, the Government has not given hospices like St Nicholas' their fair share of the £50 million national cancer plan money. |
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"It was very disappointing that Yvette Cooper, the Minister responsible for hospices, has not responded at all to my lobbying asking where the £50 million has gone. As Bob Jones, at St Nicholas', has told me, it has certainly not gone to St Nicholas'."
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| The Early Day Motion asks that the Government fund the medical and nursing costs of hospices and that funding is increased each year in line with the NHS. |
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| "This Early Day Motion will re-launch pressure on Ms Cooper to do right by our fine hospice movement, of which St Nicholas' is a stunningly successful example," added Mr Ruffley. |
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| This latest plea for hospice funding follows letters written by Mr Ruffley and Richard Spring MP last month to the Secretary of State for Health Alan Milburn calling for urgent funding. |
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| The state contribution for independent charitable hospices has fallen from 35 per cent to 28 per cent since 1997. |
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| Bob Jones, chief executive of St Nicholas' Hospice, said last month that there was no impending cash crisis, but that the hospice depended on donations and the support of the community to keep afloat. |
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