Brown defends Smith over migrants row

Updated 12.35 Wed Nov 14 2007

Keywords: immigrants, David Cameron, Jacqui Smith, Gordon Brown

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has defended Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's handling of the row over illegal immigrants working in the security industry.

Challenged by Tory leader David Cameron, Mr Brown told the Commons that instead of just talking about the problem she had "acted immediately".

"We did our duty - not press releases but action" - Gordon Brown

In noisy question time exchanges, Mr Cameron said the Government had been "caught red-handed" putting spin before safety.

But Mr Brown said the key issue was what was done by ministers and promised checks on existing workers in the security industry would be completed by the end of the year.

"We did our duty - not press releases but action," he insisted.

Mr Cameron said the Home Secretary had been told four months ago that thousands of illegal migrant workers had been given clearance to work in sensitive security posts. "Why wasn't the public told?" he demanded.

Mr Brown replied: "Because the Home Secretary acted immediately.

"She put in place the security checks which means that all new security workers are checked and all existing workers are going through checks, which will be completed by the end of the year.

"The security agency wrote to employers in the middle of August to tell them we were stepping up our checks.

"These checks are now moving forward and the likelihood is that all checks will be finished by the end of the year.

"Instead of just talking, she acted!"