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The government has confirmed that there are "no plans" to change the controversial law on smacking children. Earlier this year, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) demanded an end to the protection under UK law of "reasonable punishment", arguing that smacking children harms their mental health. Professor Andrew Rowland, a consultant paediatrician and RCPCH officer for child protection, said smacking puts children at risk of "really significant physical harm" in later life. Prof Rowland said: “The best scientific evidence I've got is that physical punishment of children undoubtedly harms children's health on a population basis. "It harms their physical health, places them at increased risk of serious physical assault, it harms their mental health and it harms their emotional health and their wellbeing - all of that is shown in robust scientific evidence. "There have been no robust scientific studies that have shown that physical punishment of children has any positive effect. So it's not just that the use of it harms children, it also doesn't benefit them in any way whatsoever." The topic has now been raised again by Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley, and a response has been issued by the Department for Education (DfE). In a written Parliamentary question , Mr Wrigley, the MP for Newton Abbott, asked the Secretary of State for Education if she will take "legislative steps" to remove the "defence of reasonable punishment for parents". Mr Wrigley referred to section 58 of the Children Act 2004, which states that it is unlawful to hit your child, except where it is "reasonable punishment". Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE It is important to note that section 58 states that reasonable punishment is not a legal defence when a child suffers actual bodily harm as a result of physical punishment. Whether a “smack” amounts to reasonable punishment depends on the circumstances, taking into consideration factors like the age of the child and the nature of the smack. Physical punishment will be considered “unreasonable” if it leaves a mark on the child. It is highly likely to be deemed unreasonable if the child is hit with a fist or an implement such as a cane or a belt. It would also be deemed unreasonable if smacking became any more than an isolated incident. In a response issued by the DfE, the government confirmed that there are currently "no plans" to change the UK law offering the defence of "reasonable punishment". In a written answer to Mr Wrigley's question, Josh MacAlister, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, said: "The landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, a key part of the government’s Plan for Change, represents the most transformative piece of child protection legislation in a generation, including wholesale reform of the children’s social care system and the introduction of measures to improve information sharing between education, police, health, justice and social workers to stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks." The MP for Whitehaven and Workington concluded: "While the department is looking closely at the impact of the legal changes made in Wales and Scotland in relation to reasonable punishment, we have no plans to legislate at this stage." Wales made any type of corporal punishment, including smacking, hitting, slapping and shaking, illegal in March 2022, while Scotland introduced a similar ban in November 2020.
