asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will extend the mobility allowance scheme to provide for loans to those disabled drivers to enable them to acquire specially-adapted vehicles from Motability Ltd. so that they can use their mobility allowances to cover running costs and loan repayments.

In the present economic climate my right hon. Friend has no plans to extend the mobility allowance scheme. I shall, however, continue to give every encouragement to Motability in its efforts to assist disabled people to obtain the maximum benefit from their allowance.