Health Secretary Matt Hancock clashed with Number 10 over the timing of a Green Paper on social care, which was slipped out hours before a new prime minister was due to be announced.

A source close to Mr Hancock told PA he had not wanted to publish the much-anticipated document on preventing ill health until the new premier was in place.

The paper was put on the Government website on Monday night without any alert to the media and has prompted fury among health campaigners.

But the source played down the row, saying there was a confusion over whether to put out any new policies because of “an edict from Number 10” last week.

Departments were warned not to put out any policies that “might be seen to be binding the hands” of the new PM, the ally said.

“Matt was reluctant to publish because he wanted to wait until a new prime minister was in place,” the source said.

  • End smoking in England by 2030
  • Measures to target people at risk of diabetes
  • Promotes more exercise

“The worries being that putting it out now, in the dying days of a Government, when you are going to have a new administration, potentially a new health secretary, potentially a new team, and then they are not really going to be bound by this…

“But Number 10 were really keen to put it out.”

The Green Paper pledges to end smoking in England by 2030, sets out measures to target people at risk of diabetes, and promotes more exercise.

Previously, the Government had aimed to create a smoke-free society – with smoking rates close to zero – by 2025.

The paper says any smoker admitted to hospital should automatically be offered help to quit, while tooth-brushing schemes in nurseries and primary schools should be introduced, and there should be a future recommendation on how much sleep people need.

It also sets out plans for clearer calorie labelling in cafes, restaurants and takeaways, a ban on junk food advertising before 9pm, and banning the sale of energy drinks to children.

If the evidence shows the soft drinks industry has not made enough progress on reducing sugar, the Government plans to extend the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – known as the sugar tax – to milkshakes.

Boris Johnson said during campaigning to be the next prime minister that he wanted to review the evidence on sugar taxes.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Hancock had questions to answer over the timing of the paper, adding: “It looks like he is trying to bury the bad news that he buckled under pressure from Boris Johnson and the corporate lobbyists running his campaign.

“With advances in life expectancy stalling, infant mortality rates worsening and health inequalities widening, this Green Paper is hugely disappointing.

“Proposals to extend the sugar tax to milkshakes have been shelved again and an expected levy on tobacco firms to fund smoking cessation services appear to have been kicked into the long grass.

“The Tories have imposed £800 million worth of cuts to public local health services and there is no indication these cuts will be reversed.

“Sadly this Green Paper is a missed opportunity, raises disturbing questions about the role of lobbyists in watering it down, and isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”

David Buck, senior fellow at the King’s Fund think tank, said: “The shabby way this consultation paper was released is disappointing given the significant public health challenges facing the country.

“The next prime minister should move quickly to restore confidence that the population’s health will be a key priority for the new government.

“The paper is a missed opportunity to build on the success of the sugar tax by taking a bolder approach to using tax and regulation to improve public health.

“Rather than seeing this as the nanny state, polling indicates that public support for these kind of interventions is stronger than politicians often assume.

“The paper includes some welcome initiatives, for example on childhood obesity, mental health in schools, and intentions to move towards a smoke-free society.

“But, overall, it falls short of the scale and ambition needed to address the big health challenges we face as a society, including stalling life expectancy and growing health inequalities.”

Other proposals include reducing salt intake by 7g a day, publishing a national genomics healthcare strategy, and commissioning an evidence-based review of the NHS Health Checks programme.

The consultation runs until October 14, with the Government’s response expected by spring.