DOWNING Street and a number of Coalition ministers have had to rebuff yet more questions about the Conservatives' election strategist Lynton Crosby with the latest concerns raised about his lobbying firm's links to the Syrian opposition.

Crosby Textor, the Australian's international consultancy, is said to have advised a number of clients, including tobacco and alcohol firms as well as the Syrian National Council.

While No 10 insists Mr Crosby's role is strictly limited to advising the Tories on their election strategy, Labour has aired concerns about a potential conflict of interest.

Yesterday at Westminster, David Cameron's spokesman declared: "The PM won't be lobbied by Mr Crosby on anything."

In the Commons, William Hague was forced to deny the election strategist had had any input into the Coalition's policy on Syria.

Challenged by Labour MP Frank Roy during a session of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, the Foreign Secretary dismissed the questions as an attempt to distract attention from the row over union funding of Labour.

"Certainly," said Mr Hague, "I have never discussed this with Mr Crosby ever in any way. We have plenty to discuss about defeating the Labour Party in the next election. I have not discussed Syrian policy with him."

In May, the Coalition shelved plans for minimum alcohol pricing in England and last week confirmed it would do the same on plain packaging for cigarettes; the Scottish Government meantime is intent on pursuing both policies.

Yesterday, minutes of a meeting between UK Government officials and Philip Morris, part of the world's largest tobacco company, were released six months after it took place.

It has emerged Philip Morris hired a consultancy run by Mr Crosby to help it lobby against the plain packaging policy.

Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, insisted Whitehall had to consult with tobacco companies so that it would not be later open to legal challenge.