Motability Operations

I regularly engage with my right hon. Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary, as my hon. Friend would expect. We share the importance of increasing the uptake of the excellent cars built across the United Kingdom. The Motability scheme supports those in receipt of a qualifying mobility allowance, and the Government will continue to work with Motability to ensure that the scheme meets the transport needs of disabled people.

One in five new cars is now purchased through the Motability Scheme. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for the British car industry, as the scheme stipulates what cars its users can buy. Has the Secretary of State considered that we could hugely increase the sales of British cars by stipulating that only British-built cars can be bought—and this is public money—by Motability users, which would not just safeguard thousands of British jobs, but create a world-leading industry in accessible vehicles?

That was a very thoughtful contribution, and I am very grateful for it. The Motability Foundation is an independent charity and is regulated by the Charity Commission, but it does engage fully with the Government in the most respectful way. As my hon. Friend would imagine, I have instructed my officials to work with those in the Department for Work and Pensions to see how we can make recommendations and certainly to support the take-up of British cars as much as possible. This Government are of course committed to the growth of the automotive sector. We are providing support through programmes such as DRIVE35, the electric car grant, which will invest up to £2.5 billion of support into zero emission manufacturing across the UK.