Plain cigarette packaging: Jeremy Hunt denies being fed tobacco company line The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has denied his department used a line given to it by a global tobacco company when it put plans for plain cigarette packaging on hold. The Department of Health yesterday released minutes of a meeting officials had with representatives from Philip Morris International in January following a Freedom of Information request. In an interview later, Mr Hunt backed a statement read out by Radio 4 PM presenter Eddie Mair that said there was "limited evidence" about the effect of plain packaging in Australia. Mr Mair said: "Do you find much to disagree with in these words - "There is limited evidence from Australia as to the effect of standardised packaging so far, largely due to the short period of time since its introduction"?" Mr Hunt said it was "correct" that he did not disagree before being told it was a direct quote from the tobacco firm during its discussions with his department. Mr Mair said the words were similar to explanations used by the Department of Health when it put plans on hold last week before asking if there was "anything funny going on." "Not at all and I think, if I may say, it is totally wrong for you to suggest that we are taking Philip Morris's line because we are not," Mr Hunt replied. He said he was not present at the meeting and insisted that David Cameron's election guru Lynton Crosby, whose public affairs firm has reportedly been advising the tobacco giant, "has never communicated" with him.