The UK Government plans to eliminate smoking from Britain by 2030, according to leaked documents.

Reports suggest Health Secretary Matt Hancock will announce the target next week when he presents a Green Paper focusing on the importance of prevention.

If confirmed, England's target will be four years ahead of that set by the Scottish Government.

READ MORE: Move to raise Scotland's legal age for smoking to 21 in war on tobacco

Scottish ministers have committed to making the counry "smoke free" by 2034, by reducing prevalence of smoking to five per cent of the adult population or less. However current trends suggest this goal is likely to be missed.

Smoking remains the UK’s biggest preventable cause of cancer, despite rates of Britons lighting up halving in the the last 35 years.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock (David Mirzoeff/PA)

Tobacco companies rather than health providers would be made to cover the cost of helping people to quit smoking, according to the leaked documents.

Black market cigarettes will also be targeted by ministers and quit leaflets will be placed inside legal cigarette packets.

“The gains in tobacco control have been hard-won, and there’s still much to do,” the plans reportedly say.

“For the 15% of adults who are not yet smoke-free, smoking is the leading cause of ill-health and early death, and a major cause of inequalities. That’s why the Government wants to finish the job.”

It is not clear whether the UK Government will adopt a similar definition to Scottish ministers, deeming smoking to have been 'eliminated' when fewer than five per cent of adults smoke. A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: “I’m afraid we can’t comment on leaks.”

READ MORE: Children in poor areas six times more likely to pass tobacco shops

Simon Clark, director of smokers’ group Forest, said people have the right to light up “without being harassed to quit”.

“It’s not up to government to dictate people’s lifestyle,” he said.

There are now 1.8 million fewer adult smokers in England than seven years ago according to the most recnet figures, with 5.9 million cigarette smokers (14.4 per cent of the population), down from 7.7 million in 2011.

Throughout the UK, 14.7 per cent of adults smoke, Scotland having the highest rate at 16.3 per cent, followed by 15.9 per cent in Wales and 15.5 perr cent in Northern Ireland.

Vaping is growing in popularity, particularly as an aid to quitting smoking (Peter Byrne/PA)

Meanwhile, e-cigarette use continues to rise, with 6.3 per cent of adults vaping in 2018, up from 5.5 per cent the previous year. Just over half (51.5%) of those vaping said it was to help them quit smoking.