NAO taskforce should investigate the Home Office - Clegg

12.38.16pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 25th May 2006

NAO taskforce should investigate the Home Office - Clegg

Commenting on the Home Secretary's letter to the Speaker apologising to the House of Commons for providing inaccurate information, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Nick Clegg MP said "This is a department which has been reduced to rubble by a Prime Minister obsessed with legislation, instead of good administration.

"It is time to bring in outside expertise to find out what on earth is going on. The National Audit Office should be asked to form a task force to investigate the lamentable response to this crisis, including the chain of command and the way in which the statistics have been compiled.

"It frankly beggars belief that four weeks after the initial revelations, the Home Secretary is still unable to provide the public with accurate facts and figures. John Reid's latest admission comes at a time when every civil servant in that department must be acutely aware of the need to provide reliable information.

"The sacking of civil servants should not be allowed to distract attention from the fact that these are serious political failures which require Ministers to take responsibility.

"It is unprecedented for the Home Secretary to admit that he cannot guarantee the accuracy of his statements to Parliament."