THE Government has privately told the United States it will allow the use of RAF Fylingdales for the controversial national missile defence system, the Tories have claimed.

Shadow Defence Secretary Iain Duncan Smith alleged ministers had given this assurance provided they were not formally asked for permission before the General Election.

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon refused, in the Commons, to divulge what private discussions had taken place over the £20 billion "Son of Star Wars" project.

He repeated the Government's stance of waiting for President-elect George W Bush to make a formal request for use of the North Yorkshire radar base.

Mr Hoon said: "The reality is that in the circumstances it is best for this country that we should respond to a decision by the United States, not seek to anticipate that decision."

He was quizzed by Scarborough and Whitby Labour MP Lawrie Quinn on whether local people would be party to any decision on RAF Fylingdales.

Mr Hoon said it was important that the issue was "debated" by the community but made no commitment to give local people a say in the decision.

Conservative leader William Hague has backed upgrading RAF Fylingdales for the NMD system but Labour MPs have warned that this will lead to Greenham Common-style protests.

Prime Minister Tony Blair does not want to weaken the special relationship between Britain and the US by hampering the development of NMD, which has been plagued by technological problems.

But if he does allow the use of Fylingdales he will infuriate Russian President Putin and European leaders, who fear NMD will lead to another arms race, as part of the US air defence system to give early warning of Soviet missile attacks.

Updated: 10:43 Tuesday, January 16, 2001