After visiting the Acorn's Children's Hospice on the Bristol Road in Selly Oak, I am urging the government to ensure that current funding for hospices is sustained in the next spending review.

Hospices have always been funded from a range of different sources. Fundraising and government grants both play a part.

Labour promised to double spending on hospices as part of its General Election manifesto in 2005. This has been met - £47 million is being spent on children's hospices between 2006 and 2011. £286 million has also been allocated to primary care trusts to spend on end of life care.

Hospices like the Acorns do absolutely vital work supporting children with life limiting conditions and their families.

Ministers have already indicated they are actively looking at continuing hospice funding at these levels and I would urge them to continue to do so.

Most hospices receive the majority of their funding from private sources. On average an adult hospice receives 32% of its funding from Government. Children's hospices receive far less as a proportion of their income