CALLS for council tenants to be banned from smoking in their own homes have been dismissed by Oxford’s housing chief.

Mike Rowley, of Oxford City Council, said people were already stopped from smoking in communal areas, gardens and stairwells, adding: “What people do in the privacy of their home is their business.”

His comments came after the Faculty of Public Health, a UK standards body for public health professionals, said people should be banned from smoking inside social housing to protect children and other residents from second-hand smoke.

Professor John Middleton, president of the group, told the Sunday Times: “Housing associations and councils are looking at smoke-free housing buildings.

“Where children are involved I think there is a real case for it.

“You wouldn’t evict a load of tenants for smoking. Where you have got new premises, you could have smoke-free agreements from the start.”

Speaking yesterday, however, Mr Rowley said none of these ideas were being considered in Oxford.

He added: “I would not be in favour of stopping residents from smoking in their own homes, even if the home is owned by the council.

“Although I am very much a supporter of reducing smoking levels, as well as the ban on smoking in public places, I do not think you could have total prohibition.

“It did not work with alcohol in the United States and I would not work here with tobacco. Smoking is already banned in communal areas, gardens and stairwells in council housing blocks.”

The pro-smoking campaign group Forest has also said such a change would ‘penalise unfairly those who can’t afford to buy their own homes’.