WELSH MPs are set to defy Tony Blair to force him to take on the House of Lords and ban foxhunting.

Huw Edwards, MP for Monmouth signalled today that Gwent MPs will join forces with most other Welsh MPs to throw out Alun Michael's compromise plan that would allow hunting to continue if it could be shown to be justified and not involve cruelty.

"I have consistently voted for a total ban because I believe this reflects the overwhelming view of my constituents and I would do so again," Mr Edwards said.

And Mr Michael, the former first minister, also found himself in trouble after ruling that the Welsh Assembly should have no role in registering hunting under his new proposal.

The Scottish parliament has already moved to ban hunting but Mr Michael told MPs: "The registrar and tribunal will be national and will deal with the matter in England and Wales."

Elfyn Llwyd, parliamentary leader for Plaid Cymru, said the Assembly should decide since it was better able to judge the situation on the ground.

Hunts in Wales, like those in England, will have to satisfy an England and Wales register which will set two tests in deciding whether they should go ahead.

These would be a "utility test" which would ask whether hunting was necessary to prevent serious damage to livestock; and a "cruelty test" which would ask which method of achieving the first test would "cause the least suffering".

Mr Michael guaranteed a rebellion by announcing Labour MPs would have a free vote.

Diana Bown, chairman of the Curre and Llangibby hunt, said: "I have stayed optimistic that the government would listen to what a huge number of people have said."

She added that the middle way was better than losing fox hunting altogether.

But a spokeswoman for the RSPCA Wales said: "Licensed fox hunting would only be licensed cruelty in our book."