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divdiv class=story-body readability=22 span class=story-date#13; span class=date27 November 2013/span#13;span class=time-textLast updated at /spanspan class=time17:34 ET/span#13; #13;/span#13;#13; #13;#13;#13; #13; #13; #13; #13; p class=introduction id=story_continues_1The government is to announce an independent review of cigarette packaging in England amid calls for action to discourage young smokers./p#13; pDavid Cameron appeared to distance himself from plain packaging in July, saying further evidence was needed to show whether it would be effective. /p#13; pBut No 10 sources say the issue would be looked at again and the government was open-minded about what to do./p#13; pLabour and health campaigners have called for plain packaging./p#13; pThe government has never officially ruled this out, saying previously that it wanted to see the results of a pilot in Australia - the first country to introduce it - before deciding whether to follow suit./p#13; pa href=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/The Times/a, which first reported the story, said the review would report in March and could lead to plain packages on English shelves before the 2015 election./p#13; pThe BBC understands it will be lead by an eminent paediatrician and will focus on the experience in Australia. /p#13; pThe BBC's political correspondent, Iain Watson, said ministers would also approve enabling legislation to allow them to sanction plain packaging very quickly if the evidence stacked up. /p#13; pThe Times said a study conducted in Australia found that smokers using standardised plain brown packets were 81% more likely to consider quitting./p#13; pLabour, who have sought to link Conservative election chief Lynton Crosby's work as a consultant for the tobacco industry to delays in the policy, are likely to describe the move as a u-turn./p#13; pThe Department of Health held a consultation in 2012 on plans which would have required manufacturers to use standardised packets and fonts and put prominent, graphic warnings on their products./p#13; pHealth campaigners say packaging is a key tool for the industry to get new customers but manufacturers say plain packets will increase counterfeiting and the focus must be on reducing under-age smoking./p#13; pThe Scottish government has said it is still committed to introducing plain packaging./p#13; /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center