Lib Dem conference: Children need protection from 'commercial pressures'

A new policy paper on the issue, Are We Being Served?, will be presented to the party's annual conference on Wednesday.

It argues that children and young people need specific consumer protection, because they face "too many commercial pressures".

The party wants to stop "the heavy promotion of undesirable products such as suggestive lingerie for six-year-olds and unhealthy foods and drinks".

Advertising increasingly targets younger children, and families are often unaware of marketing tactics, the paper warns.

It claims "young people are encouraged to buy more than they need and more than their families can afford".

The Liberal Democrats are also concerned about the way products are promoted to children and young people online.

The paper accuses companies of asking children for private information for marketing purposes too often.

Should the paper become party policy, the Liberal Democrats would force advertising regulators to subject brand websites to the same regulations as advertising.

They would also encourage businesses in the UK "to promote family life and harmony and co-operation between peers" - in the way that food companies are required to promote healthy living messages.

All advertising on websites used by children, such as advert based games and product placements, would have to be clearly labeled as advertising.