Alun Michael has said the government will "neither oppose nor support" a legal bid to delay the implementation of the controversial ban on fox hunting.

Having been compelled to make a Commons statement explaining the government's position, the rural affairs minister added that he wanted to "clarify things".

The Countryside Alliance's challenge to the law will be heard in the courts on January 25.

It had been reported that ministers would not challenge the injunction so that the ban would be delayed until after the next general election.

Complicating the issue, the League Against Cruel Sports has said it will mount its own challenge to any injunction.

Michael said the challenge should clarify the law for supporters and opponents of hunting alike.

"We expect that challenge to fail," he added. "It is only then after the court has decided against their claim that any issue of delay becomes relevant.

"As the chairman of the Countryside Alliance himself has made clear, lawyers have discussed next steps as is quite normal in advance of a court hearing," added the minister.

"The Alliance having failed, would they have made clear, seek leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

"If that is granted and that is a matter for the court, they say they will seek an injunction to delay commencement of the Act from February 18.

"February 18 is three months after Royal Assent. That is what was provided for in the Hunting Act itself and they would seek for that to be delayed until after appeal has been heard."

The minister said he was "confident" that the courts would decide that the ban is legal.

And he added that "we neither oppose nor support such an application if that stage is reached".

"There are two reasons. First we want certainty and supporters of hunting have claimed that there is uncertainty. The right place for their challenge is in the courts," he said.

"We confidently expect to have our view that the Act is valid upheld. We expect the case and any appeal, to be dealt with quite quickly and no one will then have any reason for any doubt whatsoever or for believing that they might be justified in undertaking activity which is in fact illegal.

"The second reason that we're relaxed is that the date of commencement of February 18 was neither the government's proposal, nor what this House voted for."

Labour backbencher Sir Gerald Kaufman, who tabled the urgent question which prompted the statement, said he was "sick and tired of two voices coming from the frontbench on this issue".

"The House of Commons has expressed its will. We do not want any fiddling or messing about," he added.