Bid to outlaw smacking fails

Last Modified: 08 Oct 2008
Source: ITN

A bid to ban parents from smacking children has failed in the House of Commons without a vote.

Ministers opposed the cross-party call to outlaw all physical punishment of children by parents.

The Government was expecting a backbench rebellion when the Children and Young Persons Bill was considered in the Commons after more than 100 Labour MPs demanded a free vote.

But the Bill was scuppered by procedural constraints, which meant that the issue of smacking was not even debated on the floor of the Commons.

MPs had just four hours to debate the legislation and the time was taken up with discussion on residential placements and fostering.

Labour chairman of the Commons Health Committee Kevin Barron, who led the bid to ban the use of force in punishing a child, said: "It was always a long shot because the Bill was not about the punishment of children, it was about the protection of children."

He added: "The issue won't go away. This is something many of us feel concerned about."

Tony Samphier, spokesperson for the Children Are Unbeatable! Alliance pressure group, said ministers "should feel thoroughly ashamed and the hurt that every child feels when being legally assaulted will weigh heavily on their consciences".

Current rules make it illegal for a parent to smack a child if it leaves a bruise but permit a lighter smack or "reasonable chastisement".

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