The Australian film and literature classification scheme, with particular reference to:  

a) the use of serial classifications for publications;  

b) the desirability of national standards for the display of restricted publications and films;  

c) the enforcement system, including call-in notices, referrals to state and territory law enforcement agencies and follow-up of such referrals;  

d) the interaction between the National Classification Scheme and customs regulations;  

e) the application of the National Classification Scheme to works of art and the role of artistic merit in classification decisions;  

f)  the impact of X18+ films, including their role in the sexual abuse of children;  

g) the classification of films, including explicit sex or scenes of torture and degradation, sexual violence and nudity as R18+;  

h) the possibility of including outdoor advertising, such as billboards, in the National Classification Scheme;  

i) the application of the National Classification Scheme to music videos;  

j) the effectiveness of the ‘ARIA/AMRA Labelling Code of Practice for Recorded Music Product Containing Potentially Offensive Lyrics and/or Themes';  

k) the effectiveness of the National Classification Scheme in preventing the sexualisation of children and the objectification of women in all media, including advertising;  

l) the interaction between the National Classification Scheme and the role of the Australian Communications and Media Authority in supervising broadcast standards for television and Internet content;  

m) the effectiveness of the National Classification Scheme in dealing with new technologies and new media, including mobile phone applications, which have the capacity to deliver content to children, young people and adults;  

n) the Government's reviews of the Refused Classification (RC) category; and  

o) any other matter, with the exception of the introduction of a R18+ classification for computer games which has been the subject of a current consultation by the Attorney-General's Department.

Comprehensive information about the Australian film and literature classification scheme is available from the government's  Classification website.

The main legislation relevant to the committee's inquiry is the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995, along with the National Classification Code, the Guidelines for the Classification of Publications, and the Guidelines for the Classification of Films and Computer Games. There are also schemes and codes of practice for broadcasting, music and advertising: see the Classification website's page on Classifying Television and Music.

Please note that the committee has decided to table its report ahead of the scheduled reporting date of 30 June 2011. The committee's report will be tabled on 23 June 2011.