Smacking Children To Become Illegal Across Britain

Smacking children is set to become illegal across Britain amid planned law changes in Wales and Scotland. Parents in England will have to consider how to punish their offspring when travelling around the UK.

It comes amid upcoming changes in store for the legal systems in Scotland and Wales which could penalise parents who hit their children.

It is currently legal but both countries plan to outlaw the punishment. In England it is illegal to hit a child - as it is illegal to hit anyone - but parents have a legal defence that allows them to do it.

In a recent speech the Welsh Minister for Children, Huw Irranca-Davies, said physical punishment of children has "no place" in a "modern and progressive" society.