‘Smacking ban’ moves closer

Chief Reporter A BILL aimed at ending parents’ ability to physically punish their children has been allowed to progress by AMs.

The general principle of the so-called “smacking ban” was passed by 36 votes to 15, with no abstentions.

Labour and Plaid Cymru backed the Bill, while Conservative and Brexit Party AMs voted against

Introducing the Bill, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services Julie Morgan said: “This Bill, if passed, will ensure that children in Wales have the same level of protection from physical punishment as adults.

“This government believes that children’s and young people’s voices matter. The Assembly has given its support to the establishment of a Youth Parliament, which has in its turn supported this Bill.

“This Bill is about helping to protect children’s rights. We can take pride in this country that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is central to our approach to give children the best start in life, and to help them achieve their potential.

“Whatever it’s called, physical punishment is a human rights issue, which the majority of researchers say has the potential to cause harm to children. I can never accept that it is acceptable for a big person to hit a little person.”

Conservative group spokeswoman Janet Finch-Saunders said the Bill would see the Welsh Government intervening “inappropriately and excessively” in family life.

She said: “What we have here is a nanny state approach which disagrees that it is parents who are best placed to decide on the best punishment or discipline for a child.

“We know from a UK Government review that the defence [of reasonable punishment] appears to be little used. Between 2009 and 2017 it was used only three times when a decision to charge was made. As it stands, we are on track to be criminalising good parents, of which there are many in Wales.”

Responding to the decision to allow the Bill to proceed, Vivienne Laing of NSPCC Cymru said: “It’s wrong that children have less protection from assault than adults. This is more welcome progress towards ending legally sanctioned physical punishment, whether you are an adult or child.”

The Bill will now be scrutinised by AMs before returning to a future plenary session for a final vote.