Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of how much and what proportion of annual revenue generated by (a) Newcastle International Airport and (b) other regional airports is non-aeronautical; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing duty free stores on arrivals on that level of revenue.

The Treasury does not hold data relating to individual airports’ sales and revenue.

Duty-free on arrival would place additional pressure on the public finances to which excise duty makes a significant contribution. Tax generated by the Government helps fund key spending priorities such as important public services, including the NHS, education, and defence.

Although there are no plans to introduce a duty-free on arrival scheme, the Government keeps all taxes under review and welcomes representations to help inform future decisions on tax policy, as part of the tax policy making cycle and Budget process.