I'd first of all say that there's an odd rationale in Gareth Bennett's argument. He says that essentially, public money should be ploughed into privately owned airports, but public money from Westminster should not be invested in a publicly owned airport within Wales. My argument would be that actually, with most passenger airports globally having some form of public ownership, and some form of public support, it stands to reason that Cardiff international airport should be receiving a fair share of support from the UK Government, and the First Minister was absolutely right to compare the generous offer of support to Bristol Airport as a failure to support Cardiff international airport.

And with regard to sentiments towards Cardiff international airport in the north, it's a fact that Anglesey airport exists primarily on the basis of having that vitally important north-south air route provided, and therefore, Cardiff international airport does provide the existence of jobs and prosperity in a significant part of north Wales.

And I would again argue that it's not just the direct financial support that can be awarded to Cardiff Airport that will ensure its long-term survival—and hopefully in the future we'll see it thrive; there are other ways that UK Government could assist Cardiff international airport. We've outlined them on many occasions, and I hope that in the coming months we will see the UK Government respond positively, including, importantly, the devolution of air passenger duty, which could make a significant difference to Cardiff international.