While the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland has given his full backing to independence for Scotland, Prime Minister Tony Blair has repeated his view that independence would be economically disastrous for Scotland.

Blair was asked about comments from Cardinal Keith O'Brien in Scotland that he would back independence north of the border.

Mr Blair was speaking at his monthly Downing Street news conference, when he was asked if it was appropriate that a churchman should be making such comments a few months before the Holyrood elections.

O' Brien said he would be "happy" if people in Scotland wanted separation and claimed independence would come "before too long".

In a newspaper interview, Cardinal O'Brien cited the success of smaller independent nations such as Ireland and Denmark to support his views. He mentioned that the nations benefited from the "prosperity which self-determination can bring".

Asked if the Church could be indifferent to a move towards independence in Scotland, O' Brien declared: "I would not get too involved in the politics of independence, but I am happy that, if it is the wish of the people, Scotland becomes an independent country."

He added: "In my travels I have had much experience of small countries and I have seen what benefits independence can bring.

"There is currently some frustration among the Scots about the say they have over what happens here, and that is part of what is pushing the independence movement. I can see this coming, perhaps not in the next few years, but before too long."

O'Brien concedes that, as the leader of a Scottish Church which is itself independent from England, "it is difficult to argue that ecclesiastical independence is acceptable but political independence is not".