Minister's 'delay on Morecambe Bay'

Immigration minister Beverley Hughes faced fresh questions today when it was revealed she took six weeks to hold talks on gangmasters after the Morecambe Bay tragedy.

Ms Hughes only met her opposite numbers from other departments last week - after 20 Chinese cocklers drowned on 5 February. The tragedy prompted calls for urgent action against gangmasters.

The delay was revealed today by environment minister Lord Whitty in evidence to MPs on the environment, food and rural affairs select committee. The peer told MPs he immediately questioned whether gangmasters were involved in the drownings, but did not meet fellow ministers Ms Hughes and Chris Pond until 18 March. The Labour MP for Morecambe, Geraldine Smith, today said it further underlined the lack of "joined-up government" on the issue.

"I am concerned about delays in ministers meeting and discussing the worst industrial accident since Piper Alpha," she said. "We need a single Cabinet minister dealing with issues relating to immigration, asylum and migration."

It is the latest blow to Ms Hughes, who yesterday cancelled a speech on identity cards as she kept a low profile after a whistleblower lifted the lid on a secret "open door" policy in her department. The ministerhas already faced questions on her conduct before the Morecambe Bay tragedy. She was forced to tell the Commons that information she had provided MPs on a police and immigration operation in the area was "not wholly accurate".

Days later she was hauled before MPs to admit revelations about an "open door" policy for eastern Europeans being run from an Immigration Service office in Sheffield were true despite denials.

She launched an inquiry into how the policy came into existence, apparently without the knowledge of her senior managers. But she refused to hold an inquiry into why she was unaware of the concerns of whistleblower Steve Moxon, in an email to her office in January.