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| Smith to deny 'cover-up' claims | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Jacqui Smith is to defend a decision not to publicise the fact that 5,000 illegal immigrants were cleared to work in security, amid claims of a cover-up. | |
| The home secretary will make a Commons statement at 1530, after leaked e-mails suggested she knew about the problem four months before it was reported. | |
| Tory leader David Cameron said the documents suggested she had put "government spin" before public safety. | |
| The prime minister has said he has "full confidence" in Ms Smith. | |
| 'Positive story' | 'Positive story' |
| Ministers ordered fresh checks on 40,000 people after it emerged the Security Industry Authority (SIA) was not checking applicants could work in the UK before granting licences. | Ministers ordered fresh checks on 40,000 people after it emerged the Security Industry Authority (SIA) was not checking applicants could work in the UK before granting licences. |
| The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that some of those who were not properly vetted by the SIA had been working for them. Others were employed at airports and ports. | The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that some of those who were not properly vetted by the SIA had been working for them. Others were employed at airports and ports. |
| It looks very much like they put the convenience of when they wanted to announce things to the press, and government spin, they put that ahead of considerations of public safety David Cameron 5,000 illegal workers in security | It looks very much like they put the convenience of when they wanted to announce things to the press, and government spin, they put that ahead of considerations of public safety David Cameron 5,000 illegal workers in security |
| According to the Daily Mail, Ms Smith was made aware of the issue on 12 July. | |
| The paper reports that in an e-mail from Mark Williams, her private secretary, officials were told that Ms Smith "agrees... that this is not ready for public announcement yet.... She did not think that the lines to take that we currently have are good enough for press office or ministers to use to explain the situation". | The paper reports that in an e-mail from Mark Williams, her private secretary, officials were told that Ms Smith "agrees... that this is not ready for public announcement yet.... She did not think that the lines to take that we currently have are good enough for press office or ministers to use to explain the situation". |
| Conservative leader Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "That looks as if the justification for not making an announcement was because this was going to look bad for the government." | Conservative leader Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "That looks as if the justification for not making an announcement was because this was going to look bad for the government." |
| He added: "It looks very much like they put the convenience of when they wanted to announce things to the press, and government spin, they put that ahead of considerations of public safety and telling the public what was happening." | He added: "It looks very much like they put the convenience of when they wanted to announce things to the press, and government spin, they put that ahead of considerations of public safety and telling the public what was happening." |
| But he said it was "difficult to get to the truth" until Ms Smith gave a Commons statement. | |
| Full confidence | Full confidence |
| A subsequent Home Office report on 20 August admitted that neither the department nor SIA knew the extent of the problem. | A subsequent Home Office report on 20 August admitted that neither the department nor SIA knew the extent of the problem. |
| It added that the Home Office press office continued to "recommend strongly" that no public statement be made, and that any announcement "would not be presented by the media as a positive story". | It added that the Home Office press office continued to "recommend strongly" that no public statement be made, and that any announcement "would not be presented by the media as a positive story". |
| The responsible thing to do was to establish the full nature and scale of the issue rather than put partial and potentially misleading information into the public domain Home Office spokesman At-a-glance: Tuesday at Westminster | The responsible thing to do was to establish the full nature and scale of the issue rather than put partial and potentially misleading information into the public domain Home Office spokesman At-a-glance: Tuesday at Westminster |
| The prime minister's spokesman said on Tuesday that Ms Smith had Gordon Brown's full confidence and that he had spoken to her that morning and been "satisfied with the explanation". | The prime minister's spokesman said on Tuesday that Ms Smith had Gordon Brown's full confidence and that he had spoken to her that morning and been "satisfied with the explanation". |
| But he refused to say when she first informed Mr Brown about the problem. He said when the issue arose in July, action had been taken by the department to deal with it. | But he refused to say when she first informed Mr Brown about the problem. He said when the issue arose in July, action had been taken by the department to deal with it. |
| 'Effective systems' | 'Effective systems' |
| The BBC's Danny Shaw said he had been told at the weekend, when the story emerged, that to announce illegal immigrants were working in the security industry would have given the game away and allowed them to escape before there was an operation in place to allow them to be rounded up. | The BBC's Danny Shaw said he had been told at the weekend, when the story emerged, that to announce illegal immigrants were working in the security industry would have given the game away and allowed them to escape before there was an operation in place to allow them to be rounded up. |
| A Home Office spokesman said: "It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that those they employ are entitled to work in the UK. | A Home Office spokesman said: "It is the responsibility of employers to ensure that those they employ are entitled to work in the UK. |
| When the Home Office makes a mistake like this it must come clean immediately, own up and start the process of sorting out the mess Nick CleggLib Dems | When the Home Office makes a mistake like this it must come clean immediately, own up and start the process of sorting out the mess Nick CleggLib Dems |
| "This is therefore an example of the government putting in place more effective systems and procedures to further protect the public. | "This is therefore an example of the government putting in place more effective systems and procedures to further protect the public. |
| "The responsible thing to do was to establish the full nature and scale of the issue rather than put partial and potentially misleading information into the public domain." | "The responsible thing to do was to establish the full nature and scale of the issue rather than put partial and potentially misleading information into the public domain." |
| But Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "The new home secretary seems to have learnt nothing from the failures of her predecessors. | But Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "The new home secretary seems to have learnt nothing from the failures of her predecessors. |
| "When the Home Office makes a mistake like this it must come clean immediately, own up and start the process of sorting out the mess. It is completely unacceptable that their first instinct was to start a cover-up. | "When the Home Office makes a mistake like this it must come clean immediately, own up and start the process of sorting out the mess. It is completely unacceptable that their first instinct was to start a cover-up. |
| "Perhaps if the Home Office was more worried about getting things right and less worried about spinning, these mistakes would not happen at all." | "Perhaps if the Home Office was more worried about getting things right and less worried about spinning, these mistakes would not happen at all." |