LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers granted a reprieve Wednesday to the embattled culture minister, ruling that he should not be investigated over allegations that he favored the bid by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. to take control of a satellite broadcaster.

But the vote split the two parties in Britain's coalition government, with the Conservatives backing Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and the junior Liberal Democrat party abstaining on the opposition-sponsored vote in the House of Commons.

The motion calling for Hunt to be investigated for a breach of the Ministerial Code was defeated 290-252.