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The government has said it will press ahead with the introduction of unbranded cigarette packaging in England, asking MPs to vote on legislation before May's election.

But what effect will this have? Christopher Snowdon, from the Institute of Economic Affairs, told Today the move would lead to an increase in budget cigarettes. He said: "It will be price rather than image that sells the product."

Professor John Britton, director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, claimed "tobacco companies have spent vast amounts of money opposing a measure which they also argue isn't really going to have much effect".

He told Today: "What matters here is that it's going to make it harder for tobacco companies to make a profit out of British smokers. That means fewer children will take up smoking and fewer lives will be lost to dependence on tobacco."