LABOUR backbenchers, their blood close to boiling point, had been waiting almost two years for the Government to show its hand on "Son of Star Wars".

When the moment finally arrived on Monday, the fireworks failed to go off. But they had not been cowed into submission by the strong case presented by Ministers in favour of missile defence.

Rather they had been pushed to the brink of catatonia by Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon's "public consultation paper". It told us nothing we didn't already know, dodged the tricky questions - "there are few absolute certainties involved" - and only broke up the tedium with pictures.

(My favourite was a computer generated image of what a plane might look like if equipped with missile intercepting lasers - just like an ordinary plane but with a red shaft of light coming out of the front.

The shot of RAF Fylingdales, buried away on page 23, was well worth a look as well. For reasons best known to the MoD it had been taken from behind two large trees, so the radar base was partly obscured from view and looked like a big tent.)

Mr Hoon's trick had been to let MPs have the document ahead of defence questions in the Commons. This meant they had all read it by the time they reached the chamber, and the lethargy had taken hold.

The Liberal Democrats' poor defence spokesman, Paul Keetch, was hit particularly hard. He asked Mr Hoon: "Can he assure the House that the UK will not participate in any missile defence scheme or allow facilities to be used on UK soil unless it enhances the security of the United Kingdom?"

This may seem like a fair question.

But less than five seconds before he had asked it, Mr Hoon had just finished stating: "The Government would agree to such a request to use a UK base only if the security of the United Kingdom and the alliance would ultimately be enhanced."

Even Mr Hoon was shocked that his comments had proved so forgettable. But he soldiered on: "I have said this on a number of occasions, but it bears repetition..."

The purpose of the 30-page dossier was to start a debate which will, inevitably, lead to Britain allowing the US to use Fylingdales for missile defence

Quite simply, the thing won't work without the base scanning the skies for missiles. And unless Britain is thinking of chucking the principles which guide its foreign policy - America is our friend and closest partner - out of the window, it cannot turn down a request to use it.

According to the Tories, this makes the whole consultation exercise a "sham", a "charade" and a "false pretext for delaying a final decision".

But Mr Hoon could at least have made an effort. Scarborough and Whitby's Lawrie Quinn, whose constituency stretches to within a quarter of a mile of Fylingdales, asked him to take part in a local debate.

The Defence Secretary replied: "I have had the opportunity of visiting both RAF Fylingdales and my honourable friend's constituency, and I look forward to the opportunity of doing so again."

It is one of the most non-committal responses on record. But those MPs who were still awake did not look too surprised. They are used to it.

There was one MP pleased by the document, Ryedale's John Greenway. It stated upgrading Fylingdales would not involve fresh building work, and is therefore likely to be acceptable to North Yorkshire Moors planning bosses.

But that only settles the environmental argument against the project - not the fundamental political objections held by Greenpeace, CND etc. The sheer boredom of the document will not put them off a scrap, and the narcotic effect it had on the MPs may wear off soon as well.

Updated: 11:36 Friday, December 13, 2002