Sajid Javid may reveal plans to raise the legal smoking age to 21 TOMORROW

Radical plans to raise the legal smoking age could be unveiled tomorrow when the time comes for an independent report.

The assessment, led by Javed Khan, the former head of the children’s charity, was commissioned by health secretary Sajid Javid.

He was disturbed by repeated delays amid speculation that ministers’ recommendations were being rejected.

The report is expected not only to raise the legal age, but also to introduce new taxes on tobacco companies at a time when the government is under pressure to lower taxes.

Boris Johnson pledged this week to return to the “basic conservative instinct” of lowering the tax burden after narrowly winning a confidence vote.

Last month, the prime minister canceled plans to ban multiple purchases on junk food after he believed it was the wrong time to raise costs for families already struggling with the cost of living.

The recommendations contained in the tobacco report are likely to be consulted before they are implemented.

It also suggests that the NHS is doing more to promote e-cigarettes and vaping among smokers.

Smoking has declined steadily since 1974, and about 15% of the population smoked in 2019. That year, the government set a non-smoking target by 2030.

Chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty will attend the launch of the report on Thursday alongside Health Minister Maggie Throup and Shadow Health Minister Andrew Gwynne.

Industry sources described the proposals as “pretty radical”.

The proposal is expected to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, but considerations have also been made for 25 years.

In 2007, when indoor smoking also became illegal, the minimum age to buy tobacco in England was raised from 16 to 18.

The number of smokers in the UK has dropped from around half the population in the 1970s to just 15% today.

But consumption by young people under the age of 30 increased by 25 percent during the pandemic, equivalent to more than 600,000 new smokers.

The government aims to reduce the number of smokers to just 5% by 2030.

But Mr. Khan warned in an interview before his review that the goal would not be met without action to limit sales.

The report is also said to include tax on companies earning more than £700m a year.

According to sources, this will then be used to stop media and e-cigarettes on the NHS.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said reducing cigarette consumption remains the top priority.

But the prime minister is under pressure from all parts of his party to move away from high government and tax policies.

Johnson told the cabinet yesterday that he wants to return to his conservative instincts to cut taxes as the next general election approaches.

The minister stressed to his cabinet colleagues that the application of tax cuts would contribute to “significant employment growth and economic progress”.

The prime minister also instructed ministers to take further steps to cut public spending to allocate money for tax breaks.

Johnson launched a dramatic increase in national insurance in April to fund the NHS’ recovery from the pandemic.

His administration also implemented an unexpected boon for oil and gas companies this month to help alleviate the energy crisis for families.

A DoH spokesperson said: “Tackling issues like smoking is a priority of the agency for improving health and inequalities, and an important part of the government’s equalization agenda.

This is why we embarked on an independent assessment of our bold ambition to make the UK smoke-free by 2030.

“The review will provide independent, evidence-based recommendations on potential interventions that will inform our approach to addressing the serious health disparities associated with tobacco use, and we look forward to the report when the time comes.”