Hunting will be banned despite opposition from peers who are planning to block the legislation, a minister indicated yesterday.

"It has been argued that the use of the Parliament Act would not be appropriate for this bill," environment minister Lord Whitty told peers.

"We don't want to get ahead of ourselves but should there be no way through and should the bill be frustrated in its passage rather than scrutinised or improved the government could not stand in the way of the proper use of the Parliament Act."