Robin Cook yesterday hinted that the government may be set to drop its pledge to give MPs a free vote on fox hunting.

It is thought that ministers will examine any legal challenges to Scottish legislation, passed this week, before it decides whether to proceed with a ban in England and Wales.

However, John Prescott has let it be known that the Scots ban makes it more likely that the government will give MPs a vote. He told backbenchers that reintroducing the bill was "an issue of credibility".

In Scotland, countryside campaigners have vowed to mount a legal challenge to the legislation, which, they say, will destroy people's livelihoods without any compensation.

However, a senior legal expert yesterday cast doubt on the challenge when he said it was "not a human rights issue".