Ministers couldannounce plans to introduce plain packets for cigarettes later this year,reports suggest.

Thelegislation will be announced during the Queen's Speech in May, the Guardiansaid.

Thenewspaper said the Government also plans to ban smoking in cars carryingchildren. However, senior Department of Health officials insisted that HealthSecretary Jeremy Hunt is yet to make a decision about the move.

InDecember, Australiabecame the first country in the world to put all tobacco products in standardisedpacks. Cigarettes and other products are all sold in packaging of astandardised colour, with only the brand name and graphic warnings visible.

"Weare going to follow what they have done in Australia,"a senior Whitehallsource told the Guardian. "The evidence suggests it is going to deteryoung smokers. There is going to be legislation."

InApril last year, the Government launched a consultation on plans to introducemandatory standardised packaging for tobacco products.

Healthcampaigners have welcomed the proposal, saying that brightly coloured packagesare one of the last marketing ploys tobacco companies use to lure people totheir products, but opponents claim it would lead to increased smuggling andjob losses.

Informationgenerated by the consultation, which closed in August, is still being analysedby health officials.

ADepartment of Health spokeswoman said: "We have received many thousands ofresponses to the tobacco packaging consultation. We are currently in theprocess of carefully collating and analysing all the responses received. TheGovernment has an open mind on this issue and any decisions to take furtheraction will be taken only after full consideration of the consultationresponses, evidence and other relevant information."

DrHarpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Introducingstandardised packaging would be a huge public health achievement for theGovernment. And despite strong lobbying from the tobacco industry, we know themajority of the public backs plain packs. We urge the Government to moveforward with this measure and give it our full backing."