5 November 1997 - Labour MP Michael Foster publishes a private member's
bill to ban hunting with dogs. The government delivers a blow to the
chances of the bill becoming law by refusing to grant the legislation
any of its Parliamentary time.

An estimated 250,000 people took part in the countryside march to
oppose a hunt ban

13 March 1998 - Hunt supporters celebrate as the Foster bill runs out
of time during its report stage in the Commons. The bill is talked out
by hunt-supporting MPs who table hundreds of amendments to block the
legislation's progress. Mr Foster pledges to fight on.

3 July 1998 - Mr Foster withdraws his bill citing the "cynical tactics"
of his opponents. He insists that to carry on would deprive other
valuable legislation, such as a law on puppy farms, of valuable
Parliamentary time. He predicts that fox hunting will still be banned
during this Parliament. But he says it is now up to the government to
see the job through.

8 July 1999 - Prime Minister Tony Blair makes a surprise announcement
that he plans to make fox-hunting illegal and before the next general
election if possible.

12 July 1999 - Labour denies that Mr Blair's pledge is connected to an
extra £100,000 donation it had received from an anti-hunt pressure
group. The Political Animal Lobby (PAL), had previously given £1m to
the party before the 1997 election.

PAL had also made smaller token donations to the Tories and the Liberal
Democrats.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/429994.stm