It’s the latest idea to try and make cigarette smoking seem less attractive, especially to young people—recent figures suggested that 5% of children aged 11-15 have now taken up smoking.

A consultation on the issue will be launched on Monday, while Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told The Times that he wanted tobacco companies to have “no business” in the UK.

In his statement he continued, "Smoking remains one of the most significant challenges to public health. Each year it accounts for over 100,000 deaths in the UK and one in two long-term smokers will die prematurely from a smoking disease.

"That is why the health ministers across the UK have a responsibility to look closely at initiatives that might encourage smokers to quit and stop young people not taking up smoking in the first place.

"That is why the health ministers across the UK have a responsibility to look closely at initiatives that might encourage smokers to quit and stop young people not taking up smoking in the first place.”

If the plan is adopted, then Britain will be only the second country to use such a policy, as a ban on cigarette branding comes into force in Australia later this year. They made the move after research suggested that cigarette branding was becoming an important marketing tool, as advertising rules clamped down.

At present, around 21% of adults currently smoke, but the government are hoping to reduce this around 18% by 2015.