Cigarettes plain packet review

The Government has said it will review cigarette packaging in England to discourage young smokers.

The move could see the return of standardised packaging, which was shelved earlier this year amid claims ministers had been influenced by friends in the tobacco industry.

ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports.

Health Minister Jane Ellison has told ITV News that the Government's review into plain cigarette packet legislation - almost a year on from Australia launching the initiative - has come at the right time.

Read: Cigarette packaging through the ages

Labour leader Ed Miliband said the Government should have introduced plain packaging earlier this year and claimed "we don't need another review."

Read: Cigarette packaging through the ages

Labour says that 70,000 people will take up smoking between now and March when the results of an independent review into the matter are assessed by the Government.

Speaking following the announcement of the review, Shadow Health Minister Lucian Berger questioned what further evidence the Government needs before bringing in the legislation.

"79,230 will have taken up smoking in the 139 days since the Government U-turned on standardised packaging in July and around 70,000 more will have had their first cigarette by the time the review reports in March next year," she said. "We should be legislating now, not delaying."

The Government has not yet committed to the introduction of plain cigarette packaging, announcing an independent review, to be undertaken by Sir Cyril Chantler, which it will assess in March 2014.

New laws banning branding on cigarette packets will then be introduced if the report finds sufficient evidence to support it, the Government said.

Health Minister Jane Ellison said: "I believe the time is right to seek an independent view on whether the introduction of standardised packaging is likely to have an effect on public health. In particular, I want to know about the likely impact on young people."

However, Shadow Health Minister Luciana Berger told the BBC the further delay was "a U-turn on a U-turn".

Paediatrician Sir Cyril Chantler, the man appointed to lead the Government's independent review into cigarette packaging has no links to the tobacco industry, Health Minister Jane Ellison said today.

Ms Ellison responded to criticism from Labour over the Government's apparent u-turn and delay on the move.

"We have to do this in a measured step by step way to make sure when and if a decision is made it is robust and will withdraw all the inevitable challenges that come its way," she told the House of Commons.

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) said the Government's move to introduce plain packaging on cigarettes as "very disappointing" and called on "education rather than even heavier regulation of a legal product enjoyed by millions of ordinary consumers."

Mark Littlewood, IEA director general said: "Plain packaging will have a negligible impact on health, will boost the black market, and do enormous harm to small businesses.

"In the words of David Cameron, let's treat adults like adults and give them more responsibility over their own lives."

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Labour leader Ed Miliband said today that the Government had been "pushed around" by the tobacco lobby.

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Read: Cigarette packaging through the ages

The Government has denied that it ruled out the introduction of plain cigarette packaging in the summer, and described Labour as "miserable" for suggesting the move was made in a bid to avoid a defeat in the Lords, where a vote on the issue is due shortly.

Read: Cigarette packaging through the ages

Read: Cigarette packaging: A U-turn on a U-turn?