The UK Government has rejected a cross-party proposal to ban hitting children in England, arguing it is better to wait to see the assessment of the impact of a similar ban in Wales that will be published at the end of 2025.
Humanists UK welcomed the cross-party amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that would have removed the legal defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ for hitting a child. While regretting the delay, it now hopes the Government will look at the matter promptly in late 2025.
The amendment was proposed by Labour MP Jess Asato, who is not on the Bill’s Committee. Speaking for the amendment at the Committee Stage, Green MP and member of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG) Ellie Chowns said: ‘It is totally unacceptable that in 2025, children have less protection from assault under English law than adults do. The existence of the “reasonable punishment” defence perpetuates ambiguity in the law. It leaves children exposed to potential harm and undermines efforts to safeguard their wellbeing.’
But the School Standards Minister Catherine McKinnell explained the Government will not legislate on the ‘reasonable punishment’ defence currently ‘but we will review the position when we have evidence from Wales of the impact since it was removed. Wales will publish its findings by the end of 2025 and we will look at them carefully.’
McKinnell defended this position saying ‘abusive parents are caught under the existing legislative framework’, but that the Government also has ‘an open mind and will look at the evidence and take a very careful approach to [the proposal to repeal the reasonable punishment defence].’
The amendment was not put to a vote and so was dropped at this stage of the Bill’s passage through Parliament.
Humanists UK’s Education Campaigns Manager Kieran Aldred commented:
‘The UK Government has passed an opportunity to protect the rights of children, following the recommendations of NSPCC, the Children’s Commissioner, and the UN Committee of the Rights of the Child. Protecting children from violence should not require a lengthy evidence review – though as was pointed out during the debate, 67 countries have banned corporal punishment since 1979 so there is a wealth of evidence already.
‘That said, we hope the Government will now keep to its word and seriously consider this come 2026. We stand ready to work with them when they do, as we did with the Welsh Government when it changed the law in Wales.’
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at press@humanists.uk or phone 0203 675 0959.
Read the sitting of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Committee.
Read our response to the Welsh Government consultation on the Bill.
Read the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Read our response to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
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