New f light tax to pay for more border guards
Millions of families face extra charge
MILLIONS of travellers could be hit with a new tax to pay for more Border Force staff at airports.
Cuts to the number of officers and a surge in passengers have been blamed for delays of up to two-and-a-half hours at some passport controls this summer.
The Government is considering how to tighten security at the borders and reduce queues without relying on public funds.
One option is a new tax raid on those flying in and out of the country, on top of the unpopular air passenger duty, according to senior aviation insiders.
Last night Grant Shapps, Tory MP and chairman of the crossparty Big Infrastructure Group, said: ‘It would beggar belief if passengers already hit with one of the highest rates of tax in the world have a new tax slapped on them just for using airports.
‘The Government needs to think twice before creating new taxes which make it more expensive for families to go on holiday.’
A fleeting reference to the plans was made in a Department for Transport report published in April outlining the goals of its new Aviation Strategy. It cited a report from Which? indicating low levels of passenger satisfaction with queues at passport control at seven of the 13 terminals surveyed.
The DfT report said that ‘to ensure excellent service at the border while continuing to deal with the growth in passenger numbers and increasing passenger expectations – as well as maintaining security – the Govtickets. ernment will consider whether there are additional or alternative funding mechanisms’.
‘A number of other countries have already introduced such schemes’, but there would be a consultation if ‘new charging mechanisms were introduced’.
This could emulate the controversial border clearance levy introduced in New Zealand in 2016. Passengers flying into the country must pay an arrival levy of NZD 15.79 (around £8) and a departure tax of NZD 2.94 (£1.50) – on top of the cost of But a similar fee in Britain would be even more controversial as air passengers already pay one of the highest rates of tax in the world in the form of air passenger duty.
This levy – £13 a flight for shorthaul economy-class passengers and £78 for longer trips – is expected to raise £3.5billion for the Treasury this year.
Business and first-class passengers have to pay double.
A senior airline industry source said: ‘It is deeply concerning that passengers might be made to pay for what is a core Government responsibility – keeping our border secure and making sure the service experienced by travellers is acceptable.’
The Government cut the Border Force budget by more than 8 per cent to £565million between 2012-13 and 2016-17. Over the same period, passenger numbers rose by nearly 25 per cent.
The number of full-time officers fell by almost 10 per cent from 8,332 in 2014-15 to 7,602 in 2016-17. The budget was cut by 2.3 per cent last year, although the number of permanent staff rose to 7,674.
The Home Office said: ‘We are continually considering options and this includes how the border should be funded.’
‘This proposal beggars belief’