Bid to ban smacking fails in the Commons - UK

This from the Christian Institute in the UK

"A back-bench attempt to ban smacking has failed to secure a vote in the House of Commons.

A last minute amendment to change the law was tabled just two days before the Children and Young Persons Bill was due to be considered by MPs.

However, there was limited time for debate on the Bill and the amendment was not reached.

Government research has found that 70 per cent of parents oppose an outright ban.

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls recently said that the Government would not support the move. He said it would be difficult to police and “the wrong thing to do for children”.

Mike Judge of The Christian Institute said: “Many loving parents will be relieved that this misguided attempt to interfere with the way they bring up their children has failed.

“Parents who would never dream of being violent towards their children use smacking as one of a range of techniques to discipline them.

“They shouldn’t be criminalised for doing so.”"