Blair gives backing for tougher ban on smoking in pubs

At talks last week with Patricia Hewitt, the Secretary of State for Health, the Prime Minister made it clear that he was ready to back her plan for an outright ban on smoking in workplaces in England.

However, Mr Blair is nervous about a possible backlash from smokers.

One option gaining support among ministers is for smoking rooms in pubs, similar to old-style smoking carriages on trains, where customers could still light up but food and drink would not be served.

The Government may test the water on a ban by ordering another public consultation before legislation is introduced in the parliamentary session which starts in November next year.

Ms Hewitt is more keen to stamp out smoking in public than her predecessor, John Reid, now the Secretary of State for Defence, who favours a partial ban. She will try to persuade him to support her proposals before they go to the Cabinet later this month.

Other Cabinet ministers are rallying behind Ms Hewitt's tougher stance.

Another reason why the Government is moving towards a ban is that England could soon become the only part of the United Kingdom without one.

The Scottish Parliament has voted for one and Peter Hain, the Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland, is expected to bring in a total ban in both countries.

Labour's proposal to outlaw smoking in areas where food is served is now seen as "dead in the water" after brewers said the same rules should apply to all pubs, warning that some would simply stop serving food.

Doctors say a fuller ban would save more lives.

Andrew Lansley, the shadow Health Secretary, said: "This is a complete U-turn and a humiliation for the Government who only months ago put forward a proposal for a partial ban.

"We argued at the time such a proposal was unworkable and likely to lead to widening health inequalities." The Conservatives' health spokesman added that Parliament would have an opportunity to debate alternative means of reaching a desirable outcome, either a self-regulatory solution or a legislative one.

"Either way we need to ensure the public is not exposed to other people's second-hand smoke unless they wish to be," Mr Lansley said.

Main-line trains are to become smoke-free zones because the final service to allow smoking ­ First ScotRail's London to Scotland sleeper service ­ is imposing a ban.

Smoking will still be possible at most railway stations across the network, but people will no longer be allowed to light up while travelling on any scheduled train service.