To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many police officers have (a) given a warning to and (b) arrested a passenger after a smoke alarm has been set off by a passenger smoking in a toilet at (i) Heathrow, (ii) Gatwick and (iii) Stansted airports in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (231639)

[holding answer 4 November 2008]: We have been advised by the Home Office that the information requested on arrests is not collected centrally.

The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) only, broken down at a main offence group level, covering categories such as violence against the person and robbery. Offences of illegal smoking in a public place are not notifiable offences and do not form part of the arrests collection.

Information on warnings given by police for these offences are not reported to the Home Office.