Rt Hon 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 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 | 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 MP

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and The Rt Hon MP Minister for the

Chancellor of the Exchequer The Rt Hon MP

Secretary of State for the Home Department The Rt Hon MP

Secretary of State for Foreign and The Rt Hon MP Commonwealth Affairs

Secretary of State for Exiting the European The Rt Hon MP Union

Secretary of State for Defence samThe Rt Hon MP

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care The Rt Hon MP

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and The Rt Hon MP Industrial Strategy

Secretary of State for International Trade The Rt Hon MP

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The Rt Hon MP

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and The Rt Hon MP Rural Affairs

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities The Rt Hon MP and Local Government

Secretary of State for Transport The Rt Hon 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 MP

Secretary of State for Wales The Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland The Rt Hon MP

Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media The Rt Hon QC MP and Sport

Minister without Portfolio The Rt Hon MP

Lord President of the Council, Leader of the The Rt Hon 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