Written question asked by Dominic Grieve (Conservative) on Friday, 9 January 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 January 2009. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 January 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Arrests: Disclosure of Information

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what procedures are in place to ensure that police officers receive sufficient information from regulatory authorities to allow officers to judge whether an arrest is necessary for an alleged regulatory offence;

Answer: Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 a police officer may only arrest a person if they suspect their involvement or attempted involvement in the commission of a criminal offence and the officer reasonably believes that arrest is necessary against the criteria defined in section 24 of the Act and the 'Code of Practice for the Statutory Power of Arrest by Police Officers' (PACE Code G).A decision to arrest a person under PACE is at the operational discretion of the individual officer concerned. The disclosure of information provided by regulatory authorities to the police is an operational matter for the individual authority and the police.

Secondary information