A Home Office minister has promised answers to claims that officials waived immigration claims.

Beverley Hughes told the Commons home affairs select committee on Tuesday that she would have answers within days from an investigation into why her department waived applications to clear a backlog of cases of people from the 10 new EU countries.

"I hope to have answers to some of the questions by the end of the week," she said.

"It needs to be identified at what level in the organisation that there was management knowledge of this decision. I want complete, unadulterated facts."

 Hughes admitted there was continued concern over the number of immigration claims but said it was no excuse for what had happened.

"There is ongoing concern to clear backlogs wherever they exist. That does not mean that it is justified for people taking unilateral decisions," she said.

The minister dismissed as "absurd" claims that she was aware officials had changed policy without telling ministers.

"I would not ever compromise my own integrity. I wouldn't lie under any circumstances," she said.

Hughes revealed her private office had failed to pass on concerns raised by Home Office staff.

"It puts me in an intolerable position. It was intolerable and I have accepted that it was human error," she said.

Ahead of the session, Downing Street gave Hughes a signal of support saying she had the prime minister's full support.

"She handles a very difficult brief very well," said the official spokesman.

Hughes has already accepted the revelation by Home Office whistleblower Steve Moxon that ministers and senior managers were not made aware of the situation until it became a media story.

Under Operation Brace, applications were fast-tracked with minimum checks by the Home Office's directorate in Sheffield.

In one week alone it passed 11,000 applications.

An official investigation is now underway and Moxon has been suspended.

Shadow home secretary David Davis, has called for the minister's resignation.

"Collusion, cover-up or simple incompetence, the responsibility for this disgrace rests firmly with the minister and the home secretary," he said.

"Laying blame on her staff and pleading ignorance, Beverley Hughes has shown she cannot control her own department. She is not up to the job and should resign."