Children: Physical Punishment

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Excerpts

Tuesday 16th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The point I am trying to make is that, even if you look at the evidence in Scotland and Wales, I am not sure that changes to the specifics of the law around reasonable punishment are the most important and effective way to protect children and to support parents in not resorting to physical punishment of their children. The steps that this Government are taking are more profound and more effective than a change in the law would be.

[Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (CB)]

My Lords, do the Government recognise that this report shows quite clearly the link between a failure to protect children from abuse and poor outcomes for those children? If parents who are not coping with parenting are to access family hubs and all the other support services, the law has to give a clear message that children should not be assaulted. You cannot assault an adult repeatedly; therefore, you should not be damaging a child’s life chances by repeatedly assaulting the child.

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The law in this country gives the strong message that it is wrong to assault a child. The clear advice from government is that it is wrong to use physical punishment against a child. What is more, we are providing the support necessary to help parents to address that. We are investing in the capacity of social care to be able to identify where neglect and abuse has happened in families. We are investing in earlier intervention through the families first partnership programme. The question is whether the appropriate thing to do at this moment is to focus on changing the law. That is not our priority.