Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to help support Edinburgh Airport to provide pre-clearance for travellers to the US.

The Government is supportive of the principle of US pre-clearance and there have been initial discussions between the UK and US governments, however, pre-clearance requires a commercial agreement between the airport operator and US authorities for these to be advanced.

It is important to note pre-clearance is not something which could be quickly implemented at UK airports. Careful negotiation across the UK Government and with the US would be required before pre-clearance could become a reality at UK airports.