The government's chances of obtaining a second United Nations resolution on Iraq have been boosted following a meeting between the chief weapons inspectors and the prime minister.

Tony Blair has consistently said that he believes a new resolution authorising military action is obtainable, despite the doubts of many in the international community.

And speaking after talks in Downing Street, Dr Hans Blix indicated he would be fully prepared to declare continuing Iraqi non-compliance in his February 14 report to the security council.

That move would make it more likely that security council doubters such as France, Russia and China could be persuaded to back the hardline stance of America and Britain.

Ahead of his meeting with the two key UN figures, the prime minister had told the Cabinet that the inspection teams were not in Iraq "for their own sakes".

Blair said the key issues were not what the UN monitoring teams found or how many inspectors there should be, but whether Saddam Hussein's regime actively helped them.

"For 12 years he has strung us along...time is up," the prime minister's official spokesman said.

"This is not a question of time, it is a question of attitude."

Downing Street also rejected suggestions that the Cabinet was divided on Iraq, saying that discussions among senior ministers were "good, calm, considered".

But there was no decision yet on the scheduling of a parliamentary vote on military action, with the government saying it would be "premature" at present.

Tony Blair also continues to have full confidence in the chief weapons inspector, Dr Hans Blix and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, said Number 10.

The prime minister believes they are acting as "true professionals", said the official spokesman, but added that they "are there to tell it as it is".

Speaking in Downing Street after the meeting with Blair, Dr Blix said Iraq must do more to comply with resolution 1441 on issues such as interviews with scientists and providing proof of the destruction of weapons of mass destruction.

"We hope that at this late hour, they will come to a positive response because if they do not do that then our reports next Friday would not be what we would like them to be," he said.

The meeting between the inspectors and the prime minister was said to have focussed on whether there has been any sign of a changing attitude by Saddam Hussein's regime.

Blair also asked whether the UK could offer any further assistance to inspectors.

The discussions follow Wednesday's presentation to the security council by America's Colin Powell.

The US secretary of state claimed that Iraq was systematically attempting to thwart the work of the inspection teams.

Number 10 said there were also further signs that Iraq was aiming to thwart the will of the UN.

"Of course there is much more intelligence...but there is the problem of not revealing sources," said Tony Blair's spokesman.