All to play for on smoking ban

Health secretary John Reid has signalled an all-out ban on smoking in pubs could be averted.

Speaking at the Labour Party conference Mr Reid said: "With New Labour it's going to be a bit more difficult to do deals in smoke-filled rooms."

But he stopped short of declaring an all-out ban was on the cards. The government's policy will be set out in the White Paper on public health, which is now not expected to appear before December.

One insider said he had received indications that legislation was likely to ban smoking in workplaces, including pubs, but make exceptions for wet-led pubs and clubs. Discussions were going on about how food pubs would be defined, he said.

The source added that Mr Reid, a former smoker, had made the difference in the government's approach on smoking and "there is still plenty to play for".

There are signs that the government has been encouraged by the five-year plan to restrict smoking to 20 per cent of trading space by 2010, launched by five pubcos last month.

Eighteen new companies, including Yates, Barracuda and the managed side of Greene King - representing more than 2,500 managed outlets - have signed up to the statement this week. Signatories with tenanted outlets, such as Fuller's and Arkells, have said they will focus on their managed sites before attempting to persuade tenants to take up the policy.

Paul Howarth, retail director at Daniel Thwaites - which has 330 tenants - said: "We will be driving this through our managed estate and we're making recommendations to our tenants. The tenant has to come with you."

Pathfinder, the managed side of Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, which has 500 pubs, has signed up to the policy, but tenanted arm Union has not.

Union managing director Stephen Oliver said: "We have not signed up because we believe we ought to consult tenants first."

Karen Jones, chief executive of Spirit Group - one of the original signatories to the policy - said the strategy was snowballing throughout the trade.

"Once people understand this is the way the industry is moving we believe even more will get on board," she said.

Doctors delivered 1,000 letters to the Scottish Executive calling for a smoking ban, before consultation closed on Thursday.