Govt to consult on plain cigarette packaging
The Government will launch a consultation on forcing cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging on Monday. In an interview with The Times, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the Government wanted tobacco companies to have “no business” in Britain.
However, Conservative MP Mark Field hit out at the proposals, describing them as an “unjustifiable step” and an “unsettling precedent”.
Labour MP Diane Abbott was more positive about the consultation, but warned the Government would face an "almighty fight" with tobacco companies if it tried to introduce plain packaging.