You will recall at our last meeting on 6 October, we heard from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill MSP, and Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, Tam Baillie, about petition PE1169.
We had a further discussion on this petition this afternoon. Focus was on whether to take forward research on compliance with the voluntary code on this issue (we had questioned the Cab. Sec. about this). There is a recognition that this voluntary code is perhaps not working as it should.
So what happens now? Well, we will write to the Scottish Government to follow-up on what the Cab Sec said and ask whether it intends to undertake any research. However, we will also consider the scope for us to commission research into this issue should the Scottish Government say it has no plans to do so. Precisely what this research will look at we will need to think about very carefully but, initially, we identified issues around the levels of non-compliance with the code, people's perceptions of sexually explicit front covers being in view of children in some shops, the social cost of the problem in terms of the exploitation of women and children, improvements to the code, should it have a mandatory footing rather than be voluntary.
We will of course keep followers of the petition in touch with this.
Marlyn Glen MSP, PPC
E-Democracy Archives
3 months ago
I will be following this petition in the hope of an acceptable outcome. Just today I wrote to ASDA to complain about their display of lad mags at the entrance to the store. My daughters find these kinds of images upsetting and embarrasing. It is time that retailers were forced to place these mags and tabloid papers in a more discrete place away from the curious eyes of children. It must be mandatory as retailers are clearly not bothering to adhere to advice. Retailers such as Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, and John Menzies to mention a few are guilty parties. I have complained to each of these retailers on numerous occassions with no effect.
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