In a letter published in today's Guardian representatives of organisations working in the children and parenting fields, teachers and members of the wider children's workforce, health professionals, campaigners, academics, politicians and individuals have urged Culture Secretary, Ben Bradshaw to reverse the decision to allow product placement on television. The letter reads:

"In 2005 Compass ran a campaign led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams to end the commercialisation of childhood. The campaign united individuals and organisations working in the children and parenting fields; teachers, members of the wider children's workforce, health professionals, campaigners, academics, and politicians.

We are therefore alarmed at the Culture Secretary, Ben Bradshaw's decision to allow product placement in television programmes for the first time. We believe that this decision can only fuel childhood obesity and exacerbate the problems caused by alcohol and gambling, moving us further away from our goal of ending the commercialisation of childhood.

There is a large body of academic work including recent studies by Dr. Richard Ryan and Dr. Tim Kasser, professors of psychology at the University of Rochester and Knox College, arguing that not only is seeking satisfaction in material goods unfulfilling, but further that people who put a primary focus on affluence also tend to experience a high degree of anxiety and depression, a lower sense of well-being, and greater behavioural and physical problems.

These problems are heightened in vulnerable groups such as children and young people. A study by the Children's Society found that hyper consumption as part of the individualistic society is causing a range of problems for children including: high family break-up, teenage unkindness, commercial pressures towards premature sexualisation.

This is not a Party political issue and there is much consensus amongst all political parties. In March 2007 Gordon Brown said "over and over again, I hear parents express their worries about what some call the erosion of childhood." He added "the commercialisation of childhood... has exposed children increasingly to the pressures of very aggressive advertising."

David Cameron recently spoke out against the "harmful and creepy" sexualisation of children, blaming irresponsible business for their aggressive approach.

For these reasons we, the undersigned encourage the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport and the Prime Minister to urgently review this decision."

Signed:

Neal Lawson, Chair of Compass
Jon Cruddas, Labour MP
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers
Sue Palmer, writer, broadcaster and consultant
Michael Rosen, children's novelist and fifth children's laureate
Professor Steve Field, Chairman of Council, Royal College of General Practitioners
Peter Humphreys, Chair,Trustee, Director: The Centre for Personalised Education and Personalised Education Now.
Sally Goddard Blythe MSc FRSA, Director, The Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology
Melanie Gill, Child Forensic Psychologist/Policy Advisor Psycho-politics
Greg Brooks, Emeritus Professor of Education, University of Sheffield
Oliver James, clinical psychologist
Margaret Morrissey, Parentsoutloud.com
Dr Richard House, Research Centre for Therapeutic Education, Roehampton University
Susie Orbach, psychotherapist and writer
Janet Moyles, Professor Emeritus, Anglia Ruskin University
Professor Andrew Samuels, University of Essex
Dr. Maria Robinson, Independent Adviser in Early Development
Jackie Schneider, Chair of Merton Parents
Carl Honoré, author
Paul Cooper, Give us Back our Game
Geoff Barton, Headteacher, King Edward VI School, Bury St Edmunds
Jean Barlow, Teacher Consultant
Miranda Suit, founder, Mediamarch
Ernie Brennan, Childrens Football Alliance
Vincent Nolan, Trustee, Synectics Education Initiative
Roland Meighan, Trustee, The Centre for Personalised Education Trust
Wendy Ellyatt, Independent Writer and Consultant in Early Years Education OpenEYE Campaign Core Team
Dr Marilyn Fryer, C.Psychol., Director, The Creativity Centre Ltd.
Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown,Director Health Sciences Research Institute, Warwick Medical School