Young aspiring entrepreneurs have been given career advice on lap dancing, stripping and escort services on a Welsh Government-backed website.
Users were told they could earn over £200 an evening as a lap-dancer or stripper, while links to other sites offered “submissive escorts”.
The content has now been blocked while an investigation is ongoing, after Welsh politicians raised serious concerns.
Prostitute
The information came from “fact sheets” on the Business Wales website and noted that annual incomes for people who engaged in lap-dancing or stripping “can range from £24,000 to £48,000”.
The fact sheets said it was an offence for an escort agency to “incite escorts to act as prostitutes”, but it also gave links to other websites which offer “transsexual post-operation and submissive escorts”.
Plaid Cymru Assembly Member (AM) Jocelyn Davies said, “it is hard to understand how the Welsh Government can believe it is acceptable to provide information to help women become strippers or run a lap dancing club, which is classed as a sex establishment”.
Exploit
She added: “Stripping is degrading for women and the Welsh Government should not be promoting the view that sexually exploitative work is an acceptable career.”
The AM, who represents South Wales East, also commented: “It beggars belief that advice is being given on an official Welsh Government website to help people get into the sex trade.”
The Liberal Democrats’ business spokeswoman Eluned Parrott said the businesses are “perfectly legitimate”, but she added: “I was very surprised to learn that these factsheets are offered to young people”.
Blocked
And she commented that the “adult entertainment industry”, should not be “marketed as an aspirational career opportunity to potentially vulnerable young people”.
First Minister Carwyn Jones launched an investigation into the issue and a Government spokesman said: “Immediate action was taken once we were made aware of the issue.
“Access to the fact sheets is being blocked.
“The fact sheets were among hundreds provided by an external third party provider COBRA which also provides business start up information to other Government organisations.”