Commons Sense

House of Commons · Adjournment Debate

Duty on Shopping: UK Entry Points

06 September 2023 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Henry Smith Con Crawley

EconomyBrexitBusiness & Trade

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Henry Smith raised concerns about duty on shopping: uk entry points in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • MP Henry Smith called on the Government to introduce duty-free shopping on arrival at UK airports and international rail and ferry terminals to boost the travel industry and enhance competitiveness.
  • Smith cited increased overseas shopping by UK passengers post-Brexit due to higher personal allowances and used examples from Norway and modelling predictions to support his economic arguments.
  • The Minister acknowledged Smith's speech but stated the Government is not considering policy changes for duty-free shopping for arrivals, citing concerns about impacts on UK retailers, infrastructure costs, and potential loss of duties.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Henry Smith Con Crawley

MP Henry Smith, the Member for Crawley and chair of the all-party parliamentary group for the future of aviation, called on the Government to introduce duty-free shopping on arrival at airports and international rail and ferry terminals in Great Britain. He highlighted that since Brexit, there has been a significant increase in sales by UK passengers who shop overseas due to increased personal allowances, but these benefits are not repatriated to British businesses. Smith argued for the introduction of such stores to boost recovery of travel industry, improve global competitiveness, and enhance passenger experience. He provided examples from Norway and modelling predictions from the European Travel Retail Confederation, emphasising economic impacts. He addressed concerns over revenue implications, competition with high street sales, and implementation challenges, advocating that the policy would be cost-neutral or beneficial for Government revenues.

Other contributors (1)
  • Rosie Winterton Lab Sheffield Central

    Order. The hon. Gentleman has only just come into the Chamber and should not intervene now as this is an Adjournment debate.

Government Response

Victoria Atkins

The Minister congratulated Henry Smith on his speech and acknowledged the experience he brings to the issue. She explained that in January 2021, the Government extended duty-free sales for EU-bound passengers but is not considering similar policy changes for arrivals due to concerns about impact on UK retailers, infrastructure costs, and potential loss of duties from those sales. The Minister highlighted the public health objective of duties charged on alcohol and tobacco and the economic balance struck by current policies. She noted that any change would require a strong case for the entire UK economy, considering displacement effects and compliance measures to prevent fraud. While she remains open to meeting with Smith to discuss further, she stated that there is no evidence yet to support such changes without disadvantaging high street businesses. The Minister also reiterated Government support for aviation industry recovery through initiatives like 'Flightpath to the future' and maintaining a focus on public finances.

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