Immigration minister in new row over checks

Beverley Hughes, the Immigration minister, was under renewed pressure last night after it emerged she approved a policy to relax checks on immigrants seeking to settle in Britain.

The disclosure follows three weeks of damaging publicity for Ms Hughes after the Civil Service "whistleblower" Steve Moxon revealed that applications from east Europeans were being fast-tracked in an alleged attempt to massage figures.

The minister blamed that on the Sheffield office of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) and fiercely denied that the Home Office was aware of it.

But the Tories seized yesterday on the revelation that she had authorised a separate policy to cut the backlog of applicants in the country for more than three months. It was detailed in a leaked memo from two senior officials at the IND's south London headquarters. They told staff: "All applications - as far as possible - over three months old should be granted, unless the information available on file is such that it can properly and defensibly support a refusal."

It added that the policy had been agreed by Ms Hughes.

David Davis, the shadow Home Secretary, said there was a "systematic culture of deceit". He said: "The public believes the Government are lying about their immigration policy. If it turns out to be true, I think she's got to resign."

But a Home Office spokesman said the scheme applied mainly to people who had already been in the country legally for some time.

Downing Street has repeatedly stressed Tony Blair's support for his minister.

David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, is known to be irritated at the criticism of Ms Hughes, with aides believing there is a concerted witch-hunt to force her out of office.