Today, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron challenged ministers to provide more financial support for local hospices that are struggling with the soaring cost of energy bills.

It comes after St Mary’s Hospice in Ulverston last week declared that they had run out of Government funding and said they had been put in a “perilous position”.

Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate entitled Fuel Costs: Rural Households and Communities, Tim said: “The support that businesses get will expire, which is a problem that we could address.

“Lumped under the category of ‘businesses’ are our hospices, which have seen a 350% increase in fuel bills. Not only are they getting insufficient support now, but they will soon get nothing.

“Will the Minister consider a special package to support hospices, which clearly cannot turn the heating down?”

Responding, the Energy Minister Amanda Solloway said: “I thank the honourable member for that question.

“I assure him that I am reaching out to a whole host of stakeholders, and am talking to a variety of groups about that very issue.

“Alongside the support we are offering to households, there is the energy bill relief scheme, introduced in October 2022 for the winter; we will continue to run it until the end of the month.

“The support offered by this package is worth £7.3 billion and is available across the United Kingdom.”