MINISTERS have been accused of being "impaled on the fence" over support for the controversial 'Son of Star Wars' project.

In angry exchanges in the Commons, Tory Defence spokesman Iain Duncan Smith said it was time for the Government to come clean about whether it would back the U.S. missile defence system - which is likely to involve RAF Fylingdales on the North York Moors.

At one stage Mr Duncan Smith broke Parliamentary convention to accuse Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon of failing to tell the truth.

He was forced to withdraw the remark after the intervention of the Speaker, Michael Martin. But he insisted the Government was in a "complete mess".

He said the Labour party manifesto contained one of the most pathetic lines ever by promising to "encourage the U.S. to consult closely with its allies on

its proposals for missile defence".

Mr Duncan Smith told MPs that President Bush had completed this consultation ten days ago when he visited various European states.

"What now is the Government's position? Are they in favour of it or are they opposed to it?"

Mr Hoon said the Government had been "even-handed" in its treatment of the issue.

He insisted the U.S. was still looking at a range of different systems and had

made no firm proposals for Ministers to consider.

But Mr Duncan Smith said: "He is avoiding reaching a conclusion. The reason for that is that behind him nearly 200 of his own colleagues have signed an Early Day Motion utterly opposed to it, the French are utterly opposed to it and the Secretary of State is in the position of privately telling the Americans they are in favour while publically being unable to do so because he is scared stiff of backbenchers and of some of his European counterparts.

"They are not sitting on the fence anymore. They are impaled on it."

Labour MP Tony Lloyd, said the missile system could lead to Russia placing weapons on a "hair trigger alert".

He added: "This very uncertain long-term technology would simply not be worth the massive increase in insecurity in Europe."

Mr Hoon insisted the Government had not taken any decision on whether to

allow "assets" in the United Kingdom to be used for missile defence.

He said the proposals being examined by the U.S. were different to the Star Wars programme favoured by Ronald Reagan.

He said the former President wanted a "comprehensive" missile defence system.

The U.S. is now interested in a system dealing with a "modest" number of missiles from states of concern.

Updated: 12:07 Tuesday, July 10, 2001