Downing Street has announced three ministerial appointments to plug the gap left by the resignation of Beverely Hughes yesterday.

Des Brown, the Minister for Works and Pensions, has been named as the direct replacement for Ms Hughes who quit after she admitted to "unwittingly" misleading Parliament over allegations surrounding the granting of immigration status to bogus applicants from Romania and Bulgaria.

Jane Kennedy, previously a Northern Ireland Office Minister, takes over Des Browne's old job at the Department for Work and Pensions. Ms Kennedy is replaced by Barry Gardiner, the Brent North MP, who takes up his first government post.

The Home Secretary has suspended all immigration applications from the two countries involved while an inquiry led by Ken Sutton probes the details of the allegations.

David Blunkett was clearly devastated at the resignation of Beverly Hughes, a person who was "not just a competent minister, but also a personal friend". Mr Blunkett said that the day of her departure was "the worst of his political career".

However, the Home Secretary welcomed the appointment of Des Browne; "a politician I have always respected and admired".

Mr Browne, a former Northern Ireland Office minister, said that he was "honoured" to take on the role – a position the Home Secretary has described as the "most demanding job outside Cabinet".

He added: "As the Home Secretary has made clear, we will continue the reform agenda to ensure the system both has integrity and is seen to have integrity. Immigration has been good for this country. But we must ensure that our reputation for being an open, tolerant and liberal nation is not undermined by fraud and malpractice.

"My honour in taking up this new post is, of course, tinged with a degree of regret. We already have one of the best labour markets in the world and my successor as the Minister for Work will have a great opportunity to take forward the welfare to work agenda and make a difference to some of our most disadvantaged citizens."

(gmcg)