"I do not agree with that analysis or recognise those figures."

That seems to be the stock answer of most politicians now, and so it was with Home Secretary John Reid regarding immigration and asylum seekers on the latest Sunday AM BBC1 programme.

However, it was obvious from the interview the immigration system is still inefficient, muddled and incompetent.

Why, for example, are there to be no passport checks until 2014?

The Immigration and Nationality Directorate admits there could be as many as 450,000 failed asylum seekers but denies there are as many as 250,000.

What type of logic is that?

One figure the Home Office is sure about is the 10,265 foreign criminals in our prisons. The Prime Minister promised they would be deported. Perhaps he forgot to tell John Reid.

J E PLUMTREE.

Wroughton