Mr Byrne said the inquiry by peers put many of the points that he had made when he was first appointed immigration minister in 2006.

"The report actually confirms that about £6 billion was added to the economy in 2006, that is a big number," he told GMTV.

"What it is also saying, though, I think, is that we should be taking into account the wider impact of immigration when we set immigration policy - now I think that is absolutely right."

He added that the report was "fresh evidence" of "why we need the shake-up we are driving through this year" such as the new Australian-style points system being introduced.

His remarks came as the peers' report dismissed the Government's claim that immigration is good for the economy and called for the numbers entering the country to be capped.

The parliamentary inquiry, including two former Chancellors and several other Cabinet ministers, delivered a blow to the Home Office by concluding that record immigration had led to "little or no impact" on economic well-being.

Certain groups in Britain - the low-paid, some ethnic minorities and some young people looking for a foot on the job ladder - may have suffered because of competition from immigrants, the Lords' all-party Economic Affairs Committee said.

Ministers should set an "explicit target range" for immigration and set the rules to keep within that limit, the report said. It raised the prospect of cutting the number of partners and other family members allowed to settle in Britain because a relative is already here.

The peers warned that the much-trumpeted new points-based immigration system carried a "clear danger of inconsistencies and overlap".