NEW NATIONAL FEDERATION OF RETAIL NEWSAGENTS' CODE OF PRACTICE ON OFFENSIVE MATERIALS IN NEWSAGENTS

Motion Text

That this House welcomes the new code of conduct outlined by the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) to prevent children being exposed to grown up titles in newsagents; notes that the new more elaborate guidelines relate not only to adult top-shelf titles but cover also what are known as `lads mags' as well as tabloids and other newspapers which carry images of women, along with written content which is potentially harmful not only to children but to gender equality issues in general; applauds the NFRN for being responsive to the growing number of consumer complaints relating to inappropriate display of `lads mags' and newspapers which contain degrading images of women; is concerned that the code remains entirely voluntary; and calls for the scrutiny of the implementation of this code of practice and for a statutory code to govern the display of offensive materials if adherence levels under voluntary arrangements are unsatisfactory.