CYP Now - The smacking debate: Analysis - Children Bill. Lords lay groundwork for confusion

The House of Lords was unusually lively last Monday, as more than 400 peers packed the chamber to debate adding a ban on physical punishment to the Children Bill. Daniel Martin reports on the arguments put forward and reaction from the front line

Peers were expecting a long debate about physical punishment when it came before the House of Lords last week.

One and a half hours was the best estimate when they began discussing a ban on hitting children at 3.19pm last Monday.

But such was the media interest in the issue that it seemed that Lords from all sides of the house wanted the opportunity to contribute. The chamber was packed, with around double the attendance of previous debates on the Children Bill.

This time, more than 400 Lords and Ladies were there to make their presence felt on the red benches, and in the end the debate did not finish until 6.51pm.

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included