Smoking to be banned outside schools and hospitals, but pubs get reprieve

Parliamentary bill will also ban the advertising of vapes and restrict their flavours, packaging and marketing

Smoking is set to be banned outside schools and hospitals as part of a crackdown on one of the UK's biggest killers and its most common cause of cancer.

But the government has dropped plans to outlaw smoking outside pubs and restaurants, prompting health campaigners to complain about vested interests" covertly influencing policy.