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Hunt supporters said yesterday they do expect MPs to vote on whether to overturn the controversial ban – but not this year.

The new Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition will this morning publish its second programme for government.

The document will be unveiled by Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg, and cover issues not included in the first pact published last week.

They are expected to include the Tory manifesto promise to allow a free vote on repealing Labour's Hunting Act.

However as the Western Daily Press revealed this week, with most Lib Dems expected to join Labour MPs in voting against hunting, it is unclear whether repeal will get enough support.

Countryside Alliance spokesman Tim Bonner said they were not expecting a vote on the issue this year, given the many other important issues facing the Government, especially the economic crisis.

"We have, though, been assured that the manifesto commitment will be delivered when the time is right and when it is, we are confident that the vote will be won.

"If hunting has to continue under the Act in the short-term, it will do so. It has survived the Hunting Act for five years under a Labour government largely unscathed and while a few hunts continue to face harassment by animal rights activists, the vast majority are thriving.

"The Act has proved to be perhaps even more unworkable than we predicted and there have still been just three hunts successfully prosecuted in five years.

"The delivery of a repeal vote at some stage during this Parliament is a matter of trust between the Government and the countryside.

"We have no reason whatsoever to think that trust is misplaced."

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice has been given responsibility for hunting and shooting – the first time there has been a dedicated Minister for country sports in decades. The League Against Cruel Sports says of the 491 MPs whose position is known, 56 per cent are opposed to repeal of the Act.

It says 42 per cent want it repealed, five MPs would abstain and four are undecided, and it will contact the remaining MPs this week.

Meanwhile Mr Clegg pledged the "biggest shake-up of our democracy" in well over a century in his first major speech as deputy PM, on political reform.

The coalition wants fixed-term five-year Parliaments, a referendum on changing the voting system and a wholly, or mainly, elected House of Lords.

He also outlined measures to scrap ID cards, pledged tougher regulation of the DNA database and CCTV cameras, and said unnecessary laws will be scrapped.

Mr Clegg attacked critics of his plan for a new requirement for a 55 per cent majority of MPs to agree to the dissolution of Parliament before the end of its five-year term.

The measure has been opposed by senior Labour figures such as Jack Straw and David Blunkett, but also by a number of Tory MPs.