TONY BLAIR is facing a Cabinet split over plans to ban smoking in pubs.

Commons Leader Peter Hain has signalled a possible U-turn on the controversial plan to ban smoking in public houses that serve food.

Mr Hain said that smokers' rooms would be allowed and described such an arrangement as common sense.

But Health Secretary John Reid has indicated that the Department of Health had no intention of altering the proposals - tabled last November - that paved the way for an outright ban in any pub or club offering food.

At the time, ministers suggested smoking would be outlawed in 80 per cent of pubs, although that proportion would be much lower in many parts of the North-East.

Mr Hain revealed the latest Government thinking in an interview with Westminster journalists, in which he said food serving-pubs would be able to apply for special exemptions.

He said: "At the moment, the idea is that where food is being served there will be a smoking ban, but it has to be introduced in a common-sense fashion.

"Pubs could say 'Look, there's a part of this pub that doesn't serve food. We want to allow smokers in there', and you would be able to do that.

"Or a club might come along and say 'We really don't serve food at all and we want our rights to apply a ban in this room but not in that bar'."

Mr Hain suggested decisions would be made by local authorities, but made it clear he expected smoking to continue in pubs where, under the original proposals, it would be banned.

A Department of Health spokesman said he was mystified by Mr Hain's comments, saying the Health Secretary was not backing down on his proposals.

However, there have been rumours that Dr Reid will be shifted to the Foreign Office if Labour wins the forthcoming General Election, allowing his successor to change the policy.

Ian Willmore, a spokesman for anti-smoking group Ash, said: "The Government is flailing around for a way out, because you can't distinguish between pubs that prepare food and those that don't. But any attempt to widen the loopholes further - and exempt large numbers of bar staff from protection - would produce an even more ridiculous policy."

Mr Willmore predicted that an eventual smoking ban in all pubs was inevitable, because bar staff could otherwise sue under human rights laws if they developed cancer.

Under the proposals, smoking would be banned in workplaces in 2007 and in all food-serving pubs and restaurants by 2008.