July 31 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. culture minister Margaret Hodge proposed measures to tighten ratings on computer games, with a legally enforceable system to ensure children below recommended ages aren't subject to the most violent games.

Hodge said she is considering four options, which include a system that combines the features of European ratings with U.K. classifications for films. The measures would rate games for players over age 12.

The measures are aimed at reassuring parents and guiding retailers about the content of computer games. Hodge acted as members of Parliament called for the government to impose tougher checks on Web sites depicting sex or violence and to clarify labeling for games.

``The games market has simply outgrown the classification system, so today we are consulting on options that will make games classification useful and relevant again,'' Hodge said today in a statement issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in London.

Lawmakers from the U.K.'s three main political parties on the Culture, Media and Sports Committee of the House of Commons today said there is ``widespread anxiety,'' particularly amongst parents, over sites that encourage suicide, anorexia or display pedophilia.

The panel said internet service providers should create an organization to monitor violent and sexual content of sites including Facebook Inc., Google Inc.'s YouTube and News Corp.'s MySpace.

Film Standards

The British Board of Film Classification currently can impose age limits on violent or sexual games or ban them completely. All other games are classified by a non-enforceable pan-European system run by the industry.

Conservative lawmaker John Whittingdale, who leads the culture committee, said the industry should establish a self- regulating body to agree minimum standards, oversee companies' monitoring policies, and rule on complaints from users.

``More needs to be done,'' he said. ``There needs to be a self-regulating body.''

About 49 percent of British children between ages 8 and 17 who have access to the Internet maintain social-networking sites provided by companies. About 99 percent of children used the Internet mostly at home or school in 2007, according to the communications watchdog Ofcom.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gonzalo Vina in London at gvina@bloomberg.net;

Last Updated: July 31, 2008 04:11 EDT