The Education Secretary has said she is “open-minded” to a ban on smacking children, but she added there are no imminent plans to change the law.
Bridget Phillipson said she would like to hear more from experts on how such a policy could work – a change in tone from the previous Tory government which said it was up to parents to discipline their children.
It comes after Children’s Commissioner Rachel de Souza said a ban is a necessary safeguarding step and suggested similar measures already in place in Scotland and Wales should be adopted in England.
Asked whether she supports that proposal, Ms Phillipson told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg show: “We are considering it, but this is not an area where we intend to bring forward legislation any time soon.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was asked about a potential smacking ban during the Sunday morning media rounds (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)
“I’d be keen to hear from the Children’s Commissioner and from others about how this would work. I’m open-minded on it. It’s not something we intend to legislate on, but I think we do need to look at how we keep children safe.”
She said measures set out in the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, which will be brought forward “by the end of the year”, will address many of issues relating to children’s social care and safeguarding.
The previous Tory government said it did not condone violence of any kind towards children but that there were “clear laws in place to prevent it”, and argued parents should be trusted with their discipline.
But campaigners and charities have demanded an end to the legal defence of “reasonable chastisement” set out in the Children’s Act of 2002, which parents are allowed to claim if prosecuted.
Speaking to the Observer earlier this month, Ms de Souza said: “How we treat and protect children says something fundamental about a society – banning the reasonable chastisement defence is an important step in making sure every child’s rights are not just met but valued.”