The report of the review group on Health and Personal Services for People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities, Towards an Independent Future, published in December 1996 sets out the requirements for the development of services, including respite care services. As recommended in the report, regional co-ordinating committees for services for people with physical and sensory disabilities have been put in place in each of the health boards. One of the primary functions of the co-ordinating committees is to advise the chief executive officer of each health board on priorities for the allocation of funds available for the development of services. An allocation of £3 million has been provided in the budget for these services in 1998. Of this, £1.08 million has been allocated to the Eastern Health Board, to which £200,000 has been allocated by the board to respite care in the physical and sensory disability sector. The total allocation of additional funds to physical and sensory disability services in 1998, is £8.4 million when the Estimates provision and capital allocation are taken into account. When account is taken of the additional £10 million I made available for these services in late 1997, it will be noted that I have made available additional funding of £18.4 million for these services in the last 12 months. This compares with £3,695 million allocated under the previous administration in 1997.