The Australian Medical Association has used freedom of information laws to reveal that the federal government is granting research and development tax concessions to the tobacco industry worth up to $A500000 (£200000;$320000) a year.

The association's federal president, Dr David Brand, called on the government to scrap the concessions and said that, whereas it was generously funding research to develop high tar cigarettes for Africa, spending on tobacco control in Australia was “miserly.”

“It's just incredible that the government is helping improve a product that kills 18000 Australians a year …