THE former civil servant investigating the David Blunkett visa row last night rejected Tory demands to widen his inquiry.

The Conservatives had asked Sir Alan Budd to probe other claims against the Home Secretary, but he said he would not go outside his narrow terms of reference.

Sir Alan is to investigate if the Home Secretary fast-tracked a visa application for his former lover's nanny.

The Tories also wanted him to look into other allegations stemming from Mr Blunkett's relationship with married publisher Kimberly Quinn.

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis wrote to Sir Alan asking him to look into the claim Mr Blunkett's principal private secretary attended a meeting with Mrs Quinn at his private flat and, along with the Home Office's head of news, was present at a meeting with her lawyers.

He also wanted him to investigate the claim that Mr Blunkett disclosed confidential information to Mrs Quinn relating to a security alert at Newark Airport, in New Jersey, US, for personal reasons. He apparently tipped her parents off about the alert.

Mr Davis said the key principle at the heart of the investigation applied to those charges too.

In his letter to Sir Alan, he said that in deciding if the Home Secretary misused his position regarding the visa application he would presumably be guided by the ministerial code of practice.

But in a reply to Mr Davis, Sir Alan indicated he would not consider those claims.

Blunkett 'going' - Page 2