Geoff Hoon said the war was legal

The advice, given to the prime minister on 7 March was not shown to a full Cabinet meeting on the war.

The early advice on the legality of war contained a reservations that were not included when Lord Goldsmith's advice was later published.

The Tories have attacked Mr Blair for lying over the war, while the Lib Dems say anti-war voters should back them.

Mr Blair has defended the failure to show the full 7 March advice to Cabinet, saying Lord Goldsmith was there in person to answer any legal questions and explain his view.

Asked on BBC News whether he had seen the advice, Mr Hoon replied: "I saw all of that material."

The leaking and subsequent publication by Downing Street of the early advice by Lord Goldsmith has reignited the row over the legality of the war.

Mr Hoon said Lord Goldsmith had given the opinion that the war was legal on four separate occasions.

Mind made-up

On Sunday, Mr Blair played down a leaked memo indicating he was looking at ways to justify war with Iraq in July 2002 - eight months before the conflict.

The Sunday Times has published what it says is a leaked memo dated 23 July 2002 by Matthew Rycroft, a former Downing Street foreign policy aide.

In the memo, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is quoted as saying US President George Bush had "made up his mind to take military action even if the timing was not yet decided. But the case was thin".

It adds: "Saddam was not threatening his neighbours, and his WMD capability was less than that of Libya, North Korea or Iran.

"We should work up a plan for an ultimatum to Saddam to allow back in the UN weapons inspectors. This would help with the legal justification for the use of force."

The memo followed a meeting, attended by Mr Blair, Mr Straw, Mr Hoon and the attorney general.

Mr Hoon told BBC News: "No decision had been taken by the British government, by the British prime minister, to take Britain into any kind of military action.