§ Mr. Tom Benyonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will increase the rates of private car maintenance allowance and car maintenance allowance payable to certain war pensioners.
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§ Mr. RossiWar pensioners who are eligible for the loan of a car from the Department under the war pensioners' vehicle scheme may choose instead to receive a private car maintenance allowance as a contribution towards the cost of running their own vehicles. This allowance will be increased from £250 to £350 a year tax-free. The new rate will be effective from 1 October 1981. Recipients of this allowance will also continue to be exempt from vehicle excise duty. Similar arrangements will be made in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The increased cost of the motor cars themselves, the conversion of the foot controls to hand operation, and insurance preclude any increase in the car maintenance allowance which is paid as a contribution towards the maintenance expenditure of those eligible war pensioners who have a car on loan from the Department.