Speaking at the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Bournemouth last week, Balls said society is changing its attitude to the physical punishment of children.
"Most parents, if you ask them whether they smack children and thought it was right, would say it wasn't," Balls said. "If you ask them if the government should make it illegal, they would say they shouldn't. But this is a big change from 10 or 20 years ago."
He added: "In society, attitudes are evolving, but we need to listen hard to all parts of the community. And if anybody is harming a child, they should be dealt with severely."
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