Industry and campaigning groups on Wednesday were highly critical of the government’s plans to delay the publication of a health bill after disagreement in the cabinet over the extent of a partial smoking ban in public places.

The squabbling over the extent of smoking restrictions in the workplace erupted after Patricia Hewitt, the health secretary, backed a proposal by Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, that smoking in pubs that did not serve food should be limited to a sealed “smoking room”.