The Prime Minister's official spokesman has provoked outrage by suggesting the Government is ready to back the controversial "Son of Star Wars" project.

Alastair Campbell said the US's plans for a National Missile Defence (NMD) system were - broadly speaking - a good idea.

His comments provoked anger because they came less than one hour after Tony Blair refused to make a firm statement on NMD -- which is likely to involve

the use of RAF Fylingdales radar base on the North York Moors.

Tory Defence spokesman Iain Duncan-Smith said it was "outrageous" that Mr Campbell had been willing to go further than the Prime Minister. He added: "This is a decision which is meant to be taken by a prime minister. Who is governing the country for goodness sake?

"If they are going to back the Americans, let them come out now and tell us."

Mr Blair had been accused of "dodging" the issue during a heated exchange in the Commons, which took place shortly before his spokesman briefed reporters.

Tory leader William Hague said it was time for the PM to state whether he would give his support "in principle" to the US's plans for NMD.

He said the £20 billion project would help to protect the UK from missile attacks from rogue states.

Mr Hague added: "What is needed now is the clearest possible statement of principle that we want to see a defence shield developed and that such a

shield would be in Britain's defence interests."

However, Mr Blair denied the Tory leader's claim that he was dodging the issue.

He said US President George W Bush had "set out a case we have to listen to" about the threat from rogue states in the post Cold War world.

But he said it was too early to say whether Britain would back America over the "sensitive issue".

The PM added: "It is important and right that we wait for a firm proposal before we give a firm decision."

The Government is under intense pressure to show its hand after President Bush announced he was definitely pressing ahead with NMD.

In a speech earlier this week, he said the US was planning to scrap the 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty, which Russia and China claim is the cornerstone

of arms control agreements.

The treaty explicitly bans the US and Russia from developing national missile interceptor systems for defence.

This will pave the way for Mr Bush to build a shield for the US and its allies, which would use radars, lasers and interceptors.

It has been dubbed "Son of Star Wars" because it is similar to the system which Ronald Reagan wanted to set up in the early 1980s.

Updated: 11:22 Thursday, May 03, 2001