Downing Street Says » Beverley Hughes/Immigration

Asked if the Prime Minister was satisfied with the way that Beverley Hughes was running the Immigration Service, the PMOS said yes. Asked if that remained the case despite evidence showing that the department was in chaos, the PMOS said that in the light of the drop in the asylum figures and in terms of how the problems in the asylum system were being handled, the Prime Minister believed that Ms Hughes was doing a difficult job very well. Put to him that the latest reports about the department did not bear witness to that sentiment, the PMOS said that credit should be given to the Minister for the fall in asylum applications over the past year. Asked why the figures should be believed, the PMOS said that of course this was an area where it was difficult to be 100% accurate. However, changes had been made to the asylum system and the measures in the Asylum and Immigration 1999 had come into force in 2001. Yes, there were still some problems. However, they were being tackled when they came to light. Put to him that the department had not denied allegations about sham marriages and bogus student claims, the PMOS said it was a vast generalisation to take one particular issue and elevate it to a problem which dominated the entire department. He did not believe that was the case.

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As David Blunkett is always telling us that it is a matter of when not if Britain is hit by terrorism, will we find that Beverly Hughes masterful control of immigration will have permitted the terrorists to get in.

It seems there is no ministerial responsibility any more. The Government is always saying that the public must take responsibility for all manner of things whether it’s pensions, drinking truancy or eating. Until they start taking responsibility for their own actions, the public never will.

Maybe Blair should introduce on the spot fines for his ministers who screw up and get the police to march them to a cashpoint machine to pay them!
Comment by DEGREEK — 16 Mar 2004 on 7:13 am | Link
Having full knowledge about the immigration scam, Ms Hughes covered it up and misled parliament, backed by David Blunket.
This expose’ will no doubt ruffle the feathers of the PC brigade and cause alarm among the fatcat lawyers making money out of corruption.
But the public have had enough, and they don’t trust the Tories or Liberals either. So who will stand up for us now?
Comment by Ray Lee — 1 Apr 2004 on 12:38 pm | Link

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» Monday, March 15, 2004

Beverley Hughes/Immigration

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