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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Smith denies 'blunder' on checks | Smith denies 'blunder' on checks |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| 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. | 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 said her priorities were to establish the "full scale" of the problem and take "robust action". | The home secretary said her priorities were to establish the "full scale" of the problem and take "robust action". |
| Leaks revealed she knew about the problem in July, leading to Tory claims she put "spin before public safety". | Leaks revealed she knew about the problem in July, leading to Tory claims she put "spin before public safety". |
| Shadow home secretary David Davis accused her of "blunder, panic and cover-up", charges she denied. | |
| 'No blunder' | 'No blunder' |
| But Ms Smith said she had been interested in action rather than words over the situation. | But Ms Smith said she had been interested in action rather than words over the situation. |
| "There was no fiasco, there was no blunder, there was strengthened and improved action," she told MPs. | "There was no fiasco, there was no blunder, there was strengthened and improved action," she told MPs. |
| 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 "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 security | The response from the Home Office so far has been blunder, panic and cover-up David Davis 5,000 illegal workers in security |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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". | 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' | '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. | "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 | 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 checks | Fresh checks |
| Ms Smith said the SIA had had the "discretion" to check an applicant's right to work in the UK - but the "legal duty" rested with the employer. | |
| In April 2007 an enforcement operation had discovered 44 people working at a security company who did not have the right to work in the UK - 12 had been subcontracted to a company that provided staff to guard locations under Metropolitan Police contracts. | |
| Others were employed at ports and airports. One man had been guarding government cars - including that of the prime minister. | |
| More intensive checks on security applicants began in July, since then 740 licences have been refused, out of 32,500. | |
| But Ms Smith said it remained unclear how many licences were granted before July to illegal workers. Around 6,000 cases had been checked so far, of which about 10.5% did not have a right to work in the UK | |
| Checks are being carried out and will be finished by December, she said. | |
| 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". But he refused to say when Mr Brown had been informed about the problem. | 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. |
| Former Conservative leader Michael Howard asked Ms Smith if she told Mr Brown when the "fiasco" first came to light. | Former Conservative leader Michael Howard asked Ms Smith if she told Mr Brown when the "fiasco" first came to light. |
| 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." | 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." |
| Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Nick Clegg said: "The new home secretary seems to have learnt nothing from the failures of her predecessors. | 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." |