Motability

Mr. Andrew Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people leased (a) a car and (b) a powered wheelchair through Motability in each of the last five years.

Mrs. McGuire
Motability is a national charity that assists disabled people with their mobility needs. The Motability scheme enables disabled people to obtain a car, powered wheelchair or scooter by using their disability living allowance mobility component or their war pensioners' mobility supplement as a funding stream.

Motability provides cars via both contract hire and hire purchase. Route2mobility provide scooters and powered wheelchairs via contract hire and hire purchase.

The following table gives details of leased and hire purchased cars and powered wheelchairs over the last five years.

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|       |Contract hire car|New car hire purchase|Used car hire purchase|Total cars (contract hire and hire purchase)|Wheelchairs and scooters (contract hire and hire purchase)|
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|2005-06|396,633          |6,082                |13,650                |416,365                                     |6,881                                                     |
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|2004-05|371,058          |7,193                |11,300                |395,789                                     |6,238                                                     |
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|2003-04|366,959          |7,396                |7,485                 |388,187                                     |6,347                                                     |
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|2002-03|378,414          |6,526                |4,185                 |395,257                                     |6,132                                                     |
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|2001-02|378,447          |7,002                |4,172                 |395,546                                     |5,925                                                     |
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