A session of parliament would not be complete without an attempt to outlaw hunting with hounds in England and Wales - the powers in relation to Scotland have now been transferred to the Scottish parliament.

This time around, however, the bill was introduced by the government, rather than by a backbencher, although MPs will be given a free vote on the issue.

The bill, like the legislation to reform Sunday trading arrangements brought forward by the previous Tory government, was a "multi-option" bill - offering MPs proposals ranging from an outright ban through closely regulated hunts to the status quo.

Those on the table include an almost total ban on hunting with dogs; a compulsory regulatory system which would require all of those who wanted to hunt to obtain a licence; and, a voluntary system of self-regulation.

MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill in outline terms, marking the first step on the road to change. The free vote was won by the anti-hunt lobby by 373 votes to 158, a majority of 215. The prime minister, Tony Blair, backed the bill with William Hague opposing the legislation.

John Major and Michael Heseltine had signed a "reasoned amendment" - along with eight other former Tory ministers - in an attempt to have the bill thrown out before MPs even began to debate it.

Jack Straw backed the compromise "middle way option" of licensing and regulation rather than outright abolition although he stressed that his views were his own rather than the government's. He said: "This bill needs to be dealt with by this house once and for all".

His decision was be a boost to the middle way group and raises the hopes of the pro-hunt lobby of a reduced Labour majority for a ban. Other government ministers, Peter Mandelson and Robin Cook among them, are also said to be cautious about an outright ban.

The pro-hunt lobby also took heart from an NOP poll for Channel 4 which showed that most people are opposed to an outright ban on hunting, favouring allowing the activity to continue in a regulated form.

On the other side, the anti-hunt lobby sees the bill as a major step towards ending what it sees as the barbaric practice of using dogs to hunt wild animals.

Now, though, things got messy - and protracted. MPs from all sides of the Commons were proven right to say that the bill will not make it to the statute book before the general election. Labour MPs called on the prime minister to give an undertaking that Labour will make the outlawing of hunting a manifesto priority should the Lords frustrate the multi-option bill.

House of Commons

Introduction (first reading): December 7 2000

Second reading: December 20 2000

Committee stage:

January 17 2001: Clauses 1-4 and any new clauses taken on the floor of the House.

• Standing Committee B: remainder of the Bill
• Amendments tabled
• Programming sub-committee meeting: January 18 2001 (am)
• 1st sitting: January 18 2001 (pm)
• 2nd sitting: January 23 2001 (am)
• 3rd sitting: January 23 2001 (pm)
• 4th sitting: January 25 2001 (am)
• 5th sitting: January 25 2001 (pm)
• 6th sitting: January 30 2001 (am)
• 7th sitting: January 30 2001 (pm)
• 8th sitting: February 1 2001 (am)
• 9th sitting: February 1 2001 (pm)
• 10th sitting: February 6 2001 (am)
• 11th sitting: February 6 2001 (pm)
• 12th sitting: February 8 2001 (am)
• 13th sitting: February 8 2001 (pm)
• 14th sitting: February 13 2001 (am)
• 15th sitting: February 13 2001 (pm) (part I)
• 15th sitting: February 13 2001 (pm) (part II)

Remaining stages: February 27 2001

House of Lords

First reading: February 28 2001

Second reading: March 12 2001

Committee: March 26 2001

The bill was abandoned at the end of the 1997-2001 Parliament