Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP Secretary of State for Wales Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru
T: 020 7270 0575 E: [email protected]
David T C Davies Chair, Welsh Affairs Select Committee
By email: [email protected]; [email protected]
7 April 2019
Dear David,
Thank you for inviting my ministerial team and me to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee. I committed to following up on some points made during the session.
Firstly, the European Union Exit and Trade (Preparedness) sub-Committee meet frequently to oversee and ensure the effective delivery of plans for an orderly exit from the European Union. The membership of this committee is attached. Representatives from the Devolved Administrations also regularly attend.
Secondly, Border Force applies a commercial model for every ePassport gates installation in the UK and in all respects Cardiff Airport is being treated in line with other airports. The return on investment model, applied to the installation of ePassport Gates to ensure best value, is applied in the same way to each port. This approach has ensured that investment is only provided where a positive return on investment is delivered and ensures value for money for the taxpayer.
Cardiff currently only has 428,000 international arriving passengers who would be eligible to use the gates. This figure is significantly below the 2 million required to achieve a positive return on investment from an installation of gates.
The decision not to replace the gates in Cardiff is consistent with the agreed commercial approach to funding of ePassport Gates from 2016/17. Border Force remains committed to Cardiff Airport and the passengers who use it.
Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP Secretary of State for Wales Ysgrifennydd Gwladol Cymru
Gw ydyr House | Tŷ Gw ydyr 1 Caspian Point | 1 Pwynt Caspian London | Llundain Cardiff | Caerdydd SW1A 2NP CF10 4DQ w ww.gov.uk/w ales w ww.gov.uk/cymru
European Union Exit and Trade (Preparedness) sub-Committee
Membership
Prime Minister (Chair) The Rt Hon Theresa May MP
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and The Rt Hon David Lidington MP Minister for the Cabinet Office
Chancellor of the Exchequer The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
Secretary of State for the Home Department The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP
Secretary of State for Foreign and The Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP Commonwealth Affairs
Secretary of State for Exiting the European The Rt Hon Stephen Barclay MP Union
Secretary of State for Defence samThe Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care The Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP Industrial Strategy
Secretary of State for International Trade The Rt Hon Liam Fox MP
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP Rural Affairs
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities The Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP and Local Government
Secretary of State for Transport The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP
Lord Privy Seal, Leader of the House of The Rt Hon Baroness Evans of Bowes Park Lords
Secretary of State for Scotland The Rt Hon David Mundell MP
Secretary of State for Wales The Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland The Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media The Rt Hon Jeremy Wright QC MP and Sport
Minister without Portfolio The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP
Lord President of the Council, Leader of the The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP Gw ydyr House | Tŷ Gw ydyr 1 Caspian Point | 1 Pwynt Caspian London | Llundain Cardiff | Caerdydd SW1A 2NP CF10 4DQ w ww.gov.uk/w ales w ww.gov.uk/cymru
House of Commons Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and The Rt Hon Julian Smith MP Chief Whip
Attorney General The Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox QC MP
Gw ydyr House | Tŷ Gw ydyr 1 Caspian Point | 1 Pwynt Caspian London | Llundain Cardiff | Caerdydd SW1A 2NP CF10 4DQ w ww.gov.uk/w ales w ww.gov.uk/cymru