MPs last night backed the government's hunting bill with a majority of 213 at second reading.

The vote was marred by angry protests outside the Commons which forced the police to close the public entrance to parliament.

Forum Response: British Pest Control Association

Christine Seldon, public relations manager at the BPCA, told ePolitix.com: "In the new Hunting Bill reference has been made to alternative means of fox control, including poisoning.

"The British Pest Control Association draws attention to the fact that there are currently no products approved to poison or gas foxes. Companies seeking such an approval under current pesticide legislation would find the exercise difficult, and expensive. The data requirements demanded by the legislation would also mean that a product could not be brought to the market for many months or even years."

Forum Response: RSPCA

John Rolls, director of communications at the RSPCA, said: "The bill as it stands could potentially allow over 90 per cent of hunts to survive under licence.

"The only outcome that will be acceptable to us, to the majority of MPs and to the public, is a complete ban, and that includes fox-hunting. This means that the bill must be significantly amended.

"The bottom line is that there must be no chase, no kill, and no licensing of cruelty. Trying to deal with hundreds of hunt licence applications would create a bureaucratic nightmare and meanwhile the hunts - and the cruelty - would be allowed to continue indefinitely.

"The recent public hearings into hunting with dogs proved yet again that the case against hunting is overwhelming on grounds of cruelty, utility and morality. MPs have voted on five separate occasions since 1997 for a complete ban and CPHA will be calling on them to do the same again by amending the Bill when the time comes."

Forum Response: Countryside Alliance

Richard Burge, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told ePolitix.com: "Thousands of people came to London with the intention of protesting peacefully against the Hunting Bill. It is outrageous to suggest that Countryside Alliance stewards were unwilling to cooperate with the police.

"There was a workable plan for yesterday's demonstration but the police chose to depart from it. The Metropolitan police knew that in the weeks leading up to the demonstration the Alliance had repeatedly sought permission for an appropriate venue for a peaceful rally but had been denied one."No one in the countryside really wanted the disturbances to happen but the events in Parliament Square will have left the government in no doubt about the anxiety and anger many in many rural communities."These people are facing injustice and prejudice in parliament. It is parliament which must ask itself what has driven decent people to such uncharacteristic excess."We cannot condone lawlessness, but we will not condemn the emotion, fear, and anger that gave rise to these events."The second reading of the bill provided no surprises - we know that the majority of backbench Labour MPs are intent on being led by their own prejudice and bigotry on hunting.

"We will of course be monitoring the bill as it goes into the crucial committee stage in January, but we are confident that the House of Lords will not allow this bill to become a 'banning bill'.

"The House of Lords has already made clear its belief in hunting's vital role in the countryside - the war of the Houses is about to begin."