Britons were invited yesterday to help ministers answer more than 110 health questions, even though the government has already given some of its replies.

John Reid, the health secretary, launched a consultation that should help fashion a public health white paper in the summer, asking the public about whether rules on advertising and promotion of foods, smoking in public places, and the availability of alcohol should be altered.

Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, has made clear she thinks tighter self-regulation and creative industry solutions should be tried, to solve obesity and smoking issues, before the law is changed.

Yesterday the head of a poster advertising firm, JC Decaux, suggested his company would provide thousands of "free" bicycles to Londoners, providing the government built further cycle routes.

Jean-Francois Decaux referred to the success of similar projects running in Austria and Germany where the group had supplied a total of 3,000 bicycles. "People get the first hour free then pay €2 an hour, and the scheme is funded through advertising billboards."

However, he warned that London was not yet safe enough for cyclists.

Ms Jowell, speaking to a conference concerned with advertisers, refused to be drawn on the bike idea.

But she challenged her audience to "prove again that advertising need not be an adversary of those who want a healthier Britain".

Many of the questions to be asked by the Department of Health relate not to new legislation but to providing better information and access to "healthy" options, ranging from food to exercise.

The consultation document, part of Labour's "big conversation" plan, is launched as the cabinet struggles to devise blueprints to tackle various social problems.