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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Border Agency officials apologise, but refuse to repay bonuses | Border Agency officials apologise, but refuse to repay bonuses |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Two senior UK Border Agency officials have refused demands to hand back bonuses after formally apologising for misleading MPs over "significant failings" in the handling of a huge backlog of asylum and immigration cases. | Two senior UK Border Agency officials have refused demands to hand back bonuses after formally apologising for misleading MPs over "significant failings" in the handling of a huge backlog of asylum and immigration cases. |
| The two senior Whitehall civil servants told MPs they regretted that they had "inadvertently misled" Home Office ministers and the Commons home affairs select committee over the backlog and whether security checks had been carried out. | The two senior Whitehall civil servants told MPs they regretted that they had "inadvertently misled" Home Office ministers and the Commons home affairs select committee over the backlog and whether security checks had been carried out. |
| Keith Vaz, chair of the committee, said the committee accepted their apology this time but if the UKBA was found to supply inaccurate information in future it would be reported to parliament as a "contempt of the House". | Keith Vaz, chair of the committee, said the committee accepted their apology this time but if the UKBA was found to supply inaccurate information in future it would be reported to parliament as a "contempt of the House". |
| The officials apologised after a damning inspection report showed that more than 100,000 items of post had been left unopened as staff struggled to deal with 147,000 case files – some dating back to the 1990s – that had been parked in a "controlled archive". | The officials apologised after a damning inspection report showed that more than 100,000 items of post had been left unopened as staff struggled to deal with 147,000 case files – some dating back to the 1990s – that had been parked in a "controlled archive". |
| UKBA has since said that 40,000 of these "archived" cases were now live after proper checks revealed that the individuals involved might still be in the country after all. | UKBA has since said that 40,000 of these "archived" cases were now live after proper checks revealed that the individuals involved might still be in the country after all. |
| Damian Green – who was the immigration minister but became the police minister in the recent reshuffle – told MPs that the most shocking element to him of the report published last week by the chief inspector of immigration, John Vine, was that he had approved a UKBA request to relax checks in the "archived" cases. | Damian Green – who was the immigration minister but became the police minister in the recent reshuffle – told MPs that the most shocking element to him of the report published last week by the chief inspector of immigration, John Vine, was that he had approved a UKBA request to relax checks in the "archived" cases. |
| "I was asked that they should take place only every six months because it was taking up too much resources. I then discover that these checks were not being made at all," said Green. | "I was asked that they should take place only every six months because it was taking up too much resources. I then discover that these checks were not being made at all," said Green. |
| Lin Homer, who was the UKBA's chief executive until January last year and now heads HMRC, said she apologised that 40,000 non-asylum cases had not been checked against up to 19 official databases, including the police national computer and anti-terrorist watchlist. | Lin Homer, who was the UKBA's chief executive until January last year and now heads HMRC, said she apologised that 40,000 non-asylum cases had not been checked against up to 19 official databases, including the police national computer and anti-terrorist watchlist. |
| But she refused to accept suggestions that she should return any of the £20,000 worth of bonuses she had received as head of UKBA, saying she had only "been bonused" in three out of her five years in charge, and had not received any bonus in her final year when these "significant failings" were identified. | But she refused to accept suggestions that she should return any of the £20,000 worth of bonuses she had received as head of UKBA, saying she had only "been bonused" in three out of her five years in charge, and had not received any bonus in her final year when these "significant failings" were identified. |
| Jonathan Sedgwick, who is currently UKBA's international director but was acting chief executive from January last year, also refused to return his bonus, saying he hadn't been paid one during the period he was running the agency. He agreed he had been paid a bonus of up to £10,000 while deputy chief executive in 2010-2011. | Jonathan Sedgwick, who is currently UKBA's international director but was acting chief executive from January last year, also refused to return his bonus, saying he hadn't been paid one during the period he was running the agency. He agreed he had been paid a bonus of up to £10,000 while deputy chief executive in 2010-2011. |
| Sedgwick said that dealing with the backlog of asylum legacy cases, some of which dated back to the 1990s, was an enormous task as nearly half a million case files had to be checked. "Of course that was not done as neatly and precisely as it should have been and we've been clear that we need to learn lessons. But I think it's important to recognise that this was a fairly Herculean task," he said. | Sedgwick said that dealing with the backlog of asylum legacy cases, some of which dated back to the 1990s, was an enormous task as nearly half a million case files had to be checked. "Of course that was not done as neatly and precisely as it should have been and we've been clear that we need to learn lessons. But I think it's important to recognise that this was a fairly Herculean task," he said. |
| Sedgwick postponed a trip to India with the home secretary this week in order to deliver his apology in person to the MPs. | Sedgwick postponed a trip to India with the home secretary this week in order to deliver his apology in person to the MPs. |
| "I had no intention of misleading you, it is clear it is not a satisfactory position and I'm grateful for the opportunity to look you all in the eye as it were and apologise," he said. | "I had no intention of misleading you, it is clear it is not a satisfactory position and I'm grateful for the opportunity to look you all in the eye as it were and apologise," he said. |
| "We accept your apology," replied Vaz. "If there is any further instance of information coming to this committee that is inaccurate then that will be a contempt of the House." | "We accept your apology," replied Vaz. "If there is any further instance of information coming to this committee that is inaccurate then that will be a contempt of the House." |
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