The health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, was forced into a retreat yesterday when she announced that the cabinet was now leaning towards the introduction of a smoking ban that is against her own advice and which her aides only days ago described as unworkable and weak.

After days of unprecedented rival briefing from inside the cabinet, Mrs Hewitt said a bill would be published today banning smoking in workplaces, restaurants and pubs that serve food. Many observers saw the settlement as a victory for the defence secretary, John Reid, and a testimony to the support he enjoyed from the prime minister. Tony Blair made it clear that he did not want a total ban on smoking.

In line with the May Labour manifesto proposal advocated by Mr Reid, a former health secretary, smoking will now be allowed in pubs that do not serve food, so long as it is not close to the bar area, in order to protect bar staff. Smoking in private members' clubs will be permitted.

Mrs Hewitt kept the door open for her position of "sealed smoking rooms" in bars not serving food by stating that "smoking in the bar area will be prohibited everywhere", adding: "We shall consult further on the best method to achieve this, including on discrete smoking rooms or areas to protect staff."

She said a review would be held within three years, whichever policy is adopted. Mr Reid argues that he has been trying to strike a fair balance between health and individual rights.

David Taylor, the Labour chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on smoking and health, said Mr Reid's fingerprints were all over the deal. "It is perverse that, apparently, an MP for a Scottish constituency is weakening a bill which will not affect his own area, which will be benefiting from March 2006 from comprehensive smoking legislation of the sort we are seeking in England."

Tom Sanford, director of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "The government proposals for a partial ban are unworkable, unenforcable and, bearing in mind the introduction of total bans in Scotland and Northern Ireland, totally illogical."

The anti-smoking group Ash said 90 % of the 50,000 people who responded to the government's consultation had rejected Mr Reid's proposals, adding it would add to health inequalities, since pubs in poor areas tend not to serve food.