The Spice Girls and Margaret Thatcher are poor role models for young girls, Midland MPs insisted last night.

Women MPs in the region took issue with Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, after he named the singers and the former PM as examples for girls to follow.

Mr Balls was speaking in advance of the publication today of a 10-year plan to reform education and the way children are treated, designed to make Britain the "best place in the world to grow up".

He warned that advertising was encouraging young girls to worry about their weight and appearance at an early age - and said it was important to offer positive role models instead.

But Lorely Burt (Lib Dem Solihull) said: "I can't think of two less desirable role models than them."

She suggested Olympic gold-medallist Kelly Holmes instead. "In the music industry I would think of Kylie Minogue, who battled against breast cancer."

Lady Thatcher had failed to provide opportunities for other women to obtain senior roles in politics, Ms Burt said.

Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart (Lab Edgbaston) said: "If I had a daughter, the two role models I would suggest for her would be the wife of the Prime Minister and the wife of the former prime minister, rather than Lady Thatcher and the Spice Girls."

She said Cherie Blair and Sarah Brown were both women who had combined motherhood with a career, and forged equal partnerships with their husbands.

Mr Balls will today announce a major inquiry into the commercialisation of childhood and the impact on children of advertising.

A top-level ministerial group will examine links between advertising and under-age drinking and academics will tackle the wider issue of commercial pressures on children and whether they have a "negative" impact on their lives. New guidance to parents on safe limits of alcohol consumption for under-18s will be published next year.

He is also expected to announce free nursery care for children as young as two from poorer families when the Children's Plan is unveiled tomorrow.

The Government has already announced plans to review primary education, and to consider whether the number of tests children take should be reduced.

It is expected to conclude that pupils should take tests to confirm their maths and English skills had reached certain levels when teachers felt they were ready, rather than at set ages.

Last week, headteachers warned that schools were under so much pressure that some teachers resorted to cheating to boost Sats results.