MPs are today expected to back calls for an outright ban on hunting with hounds in England and Wales.

The "indicative vote" will come as the House of Commons and House of Lords begin two days of debate on the future of hunting.

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told ePolitix.com: "For too long the debate in the Commons has been poisoned by bigotry and misinformation - and sometimes brazen fibs from many anti-hunting MPs.

"All MPs, whether opposed to hunting or not, owe it to the decent minority whose civil rights are at risk - as well as to the public at large - to keep their comments in the hunting debate honest and grounded in the facts. After all, this was the government's express aim in setting up the Burns inquiry into hunting.

"Sadly, the Burns inquiry appears to have simply been completely ignored by the majority of anti-hunting MPs. Most of them did not even bother to attend the debate on the innuiry's final report - but they still turned out en masse to vote! And they merely continue to trot out the same tired old falsehoods which the Burns report has already run to ground.

"It's about time these MPs acted in good faith for the whole of the electorate - not just for the section who they think share their own prejudices on this issue and from whom they think they can grab cheap votes".

Forum Response: RSPCA

John Rolls, director of communications at the RSPCA, told ePolitix.com: "MPs have expressed a clear view on this issue several times now and we hope that today they will vote again to ban this cruel so-called 'sport'.

"The only way that the government can honour the commitments it has made to resolve the hunting issue is by reintroducing the Hunting Bill. We urge the prime minister to get on with the job and consign hunting with dogs to the history books where it belongs."