Hunts have backed plans for the sport to be put under tight regulation to stamp out any unnecessary cruelty if hunting was made legal.
The proposal, led by Lord Donoughue, the senior Labour peer, has also won the backing of Tory and Labour MPs and peers, it can be revealed.
The move comes after months of uncertainty over the issue and with growing doubt about whether David Cameron can deliver his promised repeal of the Hunting Act.
The Conservative leader had pledged before the election to offer a free vote on the issue. But since the Conservatives failed to win a majority and ente