Peer makes smacking ban plea

England should follow Scotland in banning the smacking of children, according to a leading Liberal Democrat peer.

Scotland has become the first part of the UK to outlaw the smacking of children after new legislation came into force, which gave minors the same protection from assault as adults, by ending the defence of justifiable assault.

Wales is expected to follow suit with the introduction of a ban by 2022 and Baroness Walmsley urged the Government to incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child into domestic law.

Speaking at Westminster, she said: “Last week the Scottish government put an end to the legal defence of justifiable assault, which could be used by those committing violence against children.

“Will the UK Government follow suit and put an end to the equivalent defence of reasonable chastisement which is against the (UN) convention, confusing to parents and discriminates against some children?”

In response, the schools minister Baroness Berridge said: “The Government of course does not condone any violence towards children and has clear laws and policies to deal with this.

“We have one of the best children’s social care systems in the world. There are no plans to legislate to remove this defence in England.”