Plaid Cymru AM Jocelyn Davies will use the first short debate of the fourth Assembly to highlight concerns about the commercialisation and sexualisation of children.
The South Wales East regional AM has in the past highlighted issues such as inappropriate clothing for children and her debate follows the recent publication of the Bailey Review.
She said: “One of the most interesting things about the Bailey review was that parents were actively seeking age-appropriate clothes for their children not simply scaled down version of adult clothing. More than that, 55% of parents surveyed thought that adult style clothes for children in shops encourage children to act older than they are.
“This is an issue that I have raised concerns about in the past, and one that I know has support on a cross party basis. It isn’t about telling parents how to dress their children but about making retailers responsible for the images and messages that they sell.
“I think it is important that we have this debate in the National Assembly and we look at how we, as an institution, can play a part in helping ensure that children have a childhood.”
It is the first time a debate has been secured for such matters in the National Assembly. Ms Davies has entitled her debate ‘Let Children be Children,’ and it is expected that Gwenda Thomas AM, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services will respond for the Welsh Government. It is scheduled to go ahead on Tuesday June 14.