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Illegal worker response defended Smith denies 'blunder' on checks
(about 1 hour later)
Jacqui Smith is defending a decision not to publicise the fact that 5,000 illegal immigrants were cleared to work in security, amid claims of a cover-up. Jacqui Smith has defended 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 is facing MPs after leaked e-mails suggested she knew about the problem four months ago. The home secretary said her priorities were to establish the "full scale" of the problem and take "robust action".
The Tories said they suggest she put "spin" before public safety. Shadow home secretary David Davis accused her of "blunder, panic and cover-up". Leaks revealed she knew about the problem in July, leading to Tory claims she put "spin before public safety".
But Ms Smith told MPs she concentrated on "robust action" to tackle the issue. In the Commons shadow home secretary David Davis accused her of "blunder, panic and cover-up".
She said she was interested in what action she could take, rather than what she might say about the situation. 'No blunder'
'Positive story' But Ms Smith said she had been interested in action rather than words over the situation.
She has been accused of prioritising "spin" after a leaked email from her private secretary in July stated that she did not want to make a public announcement yet and "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". "There was no fiasco, there was no blunder, there was strengthened and improved action," she told MPs.
Ms Smith told MPs that it was true she did not think the "lines to take" were sufficient - but that was because the analysis of the issue was not complete. The "spin" accusations came after a leaked email from her private secretary in July stated that "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 response from the Home Office so far has been blunder, panic and cover-up David Davis 5,000 illegal workers in securityThe response from the Home Office so far has been blunder, panic and cover-up David Davis 5,000 illegal workers in security
She said she had wanted to establish the "full nature and scale" of the problem before making an announcement to the public. Ms Smith told MPs that it was true she did not think the "lines to take" were sufficient - but that was because the analysis of the issue was not complete.
"Ministers and officials are taking robust action to satisfy ourselves of the scale of the problem and to ensure the SIA (Security Industry Authority) and BIA (Border and Immigration Agency) work together to address it," she said. She said her priority had been to establish the "full nature and scale" of the problem and to take action to deal with it, "rather than immediately to put incomplete and potentially misleading information into the public domain".
'Honest dialogue'
And she stressed it was the "legal duty" of all employers to ensure that their employees were entitled to work in the UK.And she stressed it was the "legal duty" of all employers to ensure that their employees were entitled to work in the UK.
"Ministers and officials are taking robust action to satisfy ourselves of the scale of the problem and to ensure the SIA (Security Industry Authority) and BIA (Border and Immigration Agency) work together to address it," she said.
I did not tell the prime minister because there was not a fiasco, there was action being taken to strengthen the system Home Secretary Jacqui Smith At-a-glance: Tuesday at Westminster
But her Tory counterpart David Davis said the prime minister had promised a "different type of politics, a more open and honest dialogue".But her Tory counterpart David Davis said the prime minister had promised a "different type of politics, a more open and honest dialogue".
"Why wasn't the home secretary frank and candid about the 5,000 illegal workers licensed to work in sensitive security posts in this country?""Why wasn't the home secretary frank and candid about the 5,000 illegal workers licensed to work in sensitive security posts in this country?"
He added: "The response from the Home Office so far has been blunder, panic and cover-up."He added: "The response from the Home Office so far has been blunder, panic and cover-up."
Fresh checksFresh checks
Ministers ordered fresh checks on 40,000 people after it emerged the 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 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.
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
Conservative leader Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme leaked emails reported in the Daily Mail appeared to show no announcement was made in July "because this was going to look bad for the government".Conservative leader Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4's Today programme leaked emails reported in the Daily Mail appeared to show no announcement was made in July "because this was going to look bad for the government".
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 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 Mr Brown had been informed about the problem.
But he refused to say when she first informed Mr Brown about the problem. Former Conservative leader Michael Howard asked Ms Smith if she told Mr Brown when the "fiasco" first came to light.
'Effective systems' Ms Smith replied: "I did not tell the prime minister because there was not a fiasco, there was action being taken to strengthen the system."
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 allowed them to escape before there was an operation in place to allow them to be rounded up. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "The new home secretary seems to have learnt nothing from the failures of her predecessors.
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. 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 Nick CleggLib Dems
"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."
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.
"Perhaps if the Home Office was more worried about getting things right and less worried about spinning, these mistakes would not happen at all."