§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether four men travelling on Syrian passports who were arrested and questioned by the 15W Metropolitan police under the Prevention of Terrorism Act were suspected of conspiring to cause an explosion or of any other terrorist act;
(2) for how long the four men travelling on Syrian passports arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and deported around 29 January were held by the Metropolitan police; and on what date they were arrested;
(3) why four men travelling on Syrian passports who were arrested and questioned by the Metropolitan police on or about 20 January were not charged with any offence.
§ Mr. BrittanThere is nothing I can add to the reply I gave to a question from the right hon. Member on 7 February at column656.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the names, ages and purported occupations of the four Syrian nationals who were arrested on 20 January, detained until 27 January and deported on 29 January; and which of the four men was in possession of a Syrian diplomatic passport.
§ Mr. BrittanThe names and ages recored in the men's passports were: Mohammed Ali Abdullah, 34, Ahmed Hussein Al-Bitam, 31; Marwan Lostan, 49; and Morris Youssef Saba, 40. Only Mr. Lostan's passport recorded his occupation—that of engineer—and it was he who was carrying a diplomatic passport.