Apology for migrant figures blunder

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Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said she was "sorry" the Government got its figures wrong about the increase in foreign nationals since 1997, admitting it was "bad" the error had occurred.

Nearly a third of the 1.1 million arrivals were missed out of the original figures, 40.7% of the 2.7 million jobs created since Labour came to power have gone to foreigners.

Asked about the statistical muddle, Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said: "It's the Government's intention that the public sector as a whole has the best possible information available. That's why once this situation came to light the Government has amended the figures."

Employment minister Caroline Flint acknowledged there had been a "big mistake" and pledged to review what had gone wrong.

The row intensified after the Tories uncovered figures showing there had been 1.5 million people born overseas who were employed in the UK.But the Department for Work and Pensions immediately rejected any suggestion that they were revising their statistics again, insisting that the new figure was not comparing like with like.

The Tories nevertheless stepped up their claims that the Government had lost track of the number of foreign workers.

Announcing the decision on Romanians and Bulgarians, immigration minister Liam Byrne said it was "prudent" to maintain the restrictions until at least the end of 2008.

Limits were imposed before the two countries joined the European Union on January 1 after concerns about the scale of immigration from eastern Europe.

"While accession workers have made a positive contribution to Britain's economy, there are signs of a wider impact on public services," he said.