Grant Shapps was speaking in parliament following the announcement of the lifting of travel testing requirements from next month.

The Scottish National Party’s Gavin Newlands asked Shapps what discussions had taken place with administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and how these had influenced the decision.

“The devolved administrations were consulted very late on previous changes to travel regulations and not given adequate time to look over the data and announce a decision simultaneously,” Newlands said.

He added the aviation industry was “still in the same position on the sector-specific support promised by the government nearly two years ago”.

“The impact of Covid on travelling patterns and customer behaviour will not end with today’s statement,” he said, repeating a call for “targeted government support”.

“The job retention scheme was not enough for the 3,000 people in my constituency who lost their jobs, or for those who faced fire and rehire by companies such as Menzies Aviation and British Airways,” he said.

Shapps said he had spoken to his SNP counterpart on the day of the announcement and that support for the aviation sector had now reached “£8 billion”.

He added: “We have had not just the job retention programme but loans, in addition to assistance to those on the ground.”

Shapps claimed the Scottish government had been criticised by Edinburgh and Glasgow airports “for refusing even to meet them”, while the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association has said that the industry has been “sacrificed” by the SNP.

“So I do not think we want to be taking too many lectures about support. Support comes from getting airlines back in the sky,” he said.

Shapps also explained the need for passenger locator forms: “It is our only way of distinguishing between those who are vaccinated and those who are unvaccinated when they use e-gates to come into this country,” he said.

“A lot of work has been done to automate the e-gate so that it reads the passport number, refers back to the passenger locator form and knows whether that individual has had to take a pre-departure test – which people who have not been vaccinated have to take – and, indeed, whether they have to take a day 2 test. It is there for a critical reason.”

Shapps said he would simplify PLFs, “which is much easier to do now that we have the status of fully vaccinated people not requiring any tests at all”.

He added the addition of 12- to 15-year-olds to vaccine passports would benefit half-term holiday sales.

“I hope to expect no surprises between now and the February half-term,” he said, adding: “Enjoy your holidays.”