The UK government is lobbying on behalf of UK-based tobacco giants operating overseas, despite spending millions of pounds trying to curb smoking rates abroad.

Freedom of information requests reveal that the Foreign Office and the Department for International Trade have been championing the interests of British American Tobacco. This is despite the government being forced to draw up new guidelines for UK embassy staff after it emerged in 2012 that the UK ambassador had been lobbying the Panama government on behalf of BAT.

The disclosures reveal that in the past four years FO and DIT staff met with British American Tobacco nine times to discuss a long-running tax dispute with the Bangladesh government.

In Hungary, in March 2015, a UK government trade adviser was seconded “for a few days” to BAT HQ in Budapest and subsequently to its office in Pécs. In December 2014 the then ambassador wrote to the Hungarian economy minister about the “proposed health contribution concerns” of BAT, a reference to a tax on tobacco companies based on their turnover, which BAT regards as “discriminatory”. In April 2015 the then ambassador met the minister for foreign affairs “and raised BAT’s concerns about government tobacco policy impacting their further investment plans in Hungary, following BAT’s request to him [in] March 2015”.

In Panama there were six meetings between BAT and embassy staff, including two BAT “receptions”.

The international trade department also had 25 meetings involving BAT Venezuela, mostly via the board of the Venezuelan and British chambers of commerce. Three contacts were disclosed in Poland, one with the ambassador and two with the acting DIT director.

The notes of one contact reveal that “BAT … were specifically interested in organising a meeting with Polish government stakeholders dedicated to implementation of the Tobacco Directive” and “shaping the excise policy in relation to e-cigarettes. The company was keen to be involved in creating the regulatory framework which will allow for effective excise tax collection”.

And in Laos, the general manager of Lao Tobacco, which is owned by another British tobacco giant, Imperial, sits on the British Business Group and the European Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with which British embassy staff “have regular contact”.

The released information raises questions about the government’s approach to tobacco control. The UK has invested £15m in funding the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which promotes raising taxes on cigarettes in low- and middle-income countries that are now targeted by big tobacco because smoking rates are declining in developed states. “Britain is a world leader in implementing tough and effective measures to regulate and control the tobacco industry, and as a result our smoking rates have plummeted,” said Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the health charity Ash (Action on Smoking and Health).

“The government has publicly committed support to help poorer countries to follow our example. But behind the scenes our embassies are still helping UK-based tobacco manufacturers to promote their lethal business and to resist government regulation.

“The word hypocrisy hardly does it justice. We are saving lives at home and promoting death abroad.”

The embassies’ approach is consistent with a 2011 coalition government strategy that pushed for them to do more to promote UK business interests abroad. With Brexit opening up the possibility of new trade deals, health campaigners believe that embassy staff may come under pressure to do more to help promote the tobacco industry – which makes billions for the exchequer.

However, a government spokesman said it took its obligations to protect public health policies in relation to tobacco very seriously.

“Interactions with the tobacco industry are only permitted where necessary, and we do not allow our staff to encourage investment in the tobacco industry, or provide any assistance in helping tobacco companies influence local business policies like taxation to their advantage.”