Downing Street has refused to say whether the government will push its own legislation banning fox hunting through parliament.

The government's bill was amended by MPs on Monday to include a ban on all forms of hunting with hounds.

Following pressure from Labour backbenchers the government withdrew its amendment to the Hunting Bill, but the prime minister refused to back the new version despite it standing in his own name.

On Tuesday Number 10 was pressed as to whether it was now the government's intention to legislate for a total ban, as the bill now stands.

But the prime minister's official spokesman would not say whether Tony Blair stood by the bill as it returns to a standing committee before being sent to the House of Lords where it faces a likely defeat.

"The bill will have to reflect the vote last night and that it will do," the spokesman said.

"But equally we have to wait and see what the response of the Lords is once the bill has been voted on again in the House [of Commons]."

Downing Street also denied that it was the government's responsibility to invoke the Parliament Act, which would exercise the rights of the Commons over the Lords.

"It is not a matter for the government to decide to use the Parliament Act. It is the role of parliament to act on the Parliament Act. We have yet to get to that stage," the spokesman insisted.

When asked why Blair had not voted in the debate, Number 10 said that it had been his intention to support the withdrawn clause 13.

"If circumstances change, what happens changes," the spokesman said.

Earlier rural affairs minister Alun Michael warned peers against blocking moves to ban hunting.

His comments came after five hours of heated debate had forced him to withdraw his own amendment to the bill.

Labour MPs then united with Liberal Democrats and a small number of Tories to back an outright ban with a majority of 208.

Speaking on Tuesday, Michael said the Commons had made its decision and warned peers against overturning the ban.

"I made it very clear when we started on this process in March last year what the government saw as the way forward, that we hoped that the House of Lords will engage with any bill that goes forward, seek to improve it, not seek to obstruct it - but that if it was obstructed, then the government would not stand in the way of the Parliament Act applying," he told the BBC.

The bill, which has been the source of repeated embarrassment for the government, now returns to committee before heading to the upper House.

Michael's climbdown came in the face of intense criticism from Labour MPs who believed ministers were attempting to dilute a manifesto commitment.

Seven members of the Cabinet, including deputy prime minister John Prescott, and scores of ministers joined with MPs led by Tony Banks to force through the ban on a free vote.

Ministers had earlier urged MPs to support the middle way option, which would have allowed hunting to continue where the alternative would have been crueller.

"This will ensure that all cruelty associated with hunting with dogs will be banned - no doubt, no compromise, no delay," the rural affairs minister said before withdrawing his proposal.

Until the 11th hour Michael had continued to insist that the Banks' amendment would be unworkable and difficult to enforce.

But MPs were in no mood to compromise and repeatedly challenged the frontbench.

Criticism grew after it emerged that the Commons would not be able to vote for a total ban if the government's partial ban had been carried in an earlier division.

That led to angry scenes, with Tony Banks joining with former Tory minister Ann Widdecombe in accusing the government of foul play.

Widdecombe said ministers were attempting to force through "some shoddy compromise that a blackmailing government has tried to impose on its own backbenchers".

The outcome of the debate was hailed as a victory by anti-hunt campaigners and MPs.

"Hopefully we have achieved a total ban on the hunting of wild mammals with dogs, which is something we promised as a party that we would do," said Banks.

But the Conservatives said the government had been held to ransom.

"Tony Blair has landed himself in a tub full of Horlicks. Ministers have spent the last few weeks telling everyone that a hunting ban would be prejudiced and unworkable," shadow rural affairs minister David Lidington said.

"Last night they lost control of their own party. Even John Prescott gave two fingers to Tony Blair and voted for a ban."

The bill will shortly head to the House of Lords where it can expect to face stiff opposition.

A spokesman for the pro-hunt Countryside Alliance predicted that the bill would be defeated in the upper house.

"Rather than the death of hunting, this is the death of the Hunting Bill. The bill is in complete chaos and is now terminally damaged," he said.