The Finance Ministry has asked the Knesset Finance Committee to approve financing of NIS 1.495 million for security, a driver and office services for former prime minister Ariel Sharon, who has been unconscious and hospitalized for 13 months.

Sharon's office will also be able to hire one employee.

The Finance Committee will discuss approval of the request on Tuesday, and committee members believe there will be a majority in favor.

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The Finance Committee has already approved financing medical costs for Sharon.

The state ceased funding office space for former prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak in January 2007. However, a few weeks ago the Finance Committee approved allocation of NIS 260,000 from the budget of the Prime Minister's Office for providing an assistant to Netanyahu.

This is the fourth assistant to Netanyahu financed by the state. The three other assistants are employed by the Knesset.

Payment for the extension of security services for Ehud Barak until April 2007 was approved two months ago. The annual cost of providing these services in Israel and abroad is estimated at NIS 1.5 million.

The office of former prime minister Yitzhak Shamir was allocated NIS 1.5 million in 2007.