Visa process 'not unusual'

Speeded-up visa processing for the nanny of Home Secretary David Blunkett's ex-lover was not unusual, the Home Office insisted tonight.

Mr Blunkett's officials issued a statement which may help exonerate him of some of the abuse of office allegations which have been levelled by his former lover Kimberly Quinn.

Details which emerged in the Daily Mail newspaper suggested the Filipina nanny, Leoncia Casalme, had been told it would take a year to process her visa but she received it out of the blue just 19 days later.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Home Office began charging for processing most immigration applications in August 2003.

"In the months in advance of that, to be in a position to deliver a good service to applicants when charging began, the Home Office made efforts to process existing applications as quickly as possible.

"It was not unusual for straightforward cases to be dealt with within a few weeks."

He added: "The Home Office's Permanent Secretary, John Gieve, has asked Sir Alan Budd to examine the handling of Leoncia Casalme's application for indefinite leave to remain.

"Sir Alan will report once his investigation is complete."

The introduction of charges was announced on July 10 last year, nearly two months after Ms Casalme received the visa allowing her to remain in Britain indefinitely.

It has been alleged that Mr Blunkett misused his public position to help his former lover.

Earlier today Mr Blunkett acknowledged that the letters in the Daily Mail were authentic.

But he argued: "They prove absolutely nothing except that we were moving through the process of fast-tracking a very large number of documents prior to the beginning of charging for indefinite leave to remain."