Overview

• Sir Michael Caine, Alan Shearer, Natalie Dormer and Samantha Morton are among dozens of signatories to an NSPCC-coordinated letter delivered to Downing Street.
• The letter, backed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Barnardo’s, argues it is never reasonable to hit a child and says the current law excuses physical punishment.
• Campaigners want the ban introduced via an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill now progressing through Parliament.
• England still permits a ‘reasonable punishment’ defence under the Children Act 2004, while Scotland (2020) and Wales (2022) have outlawed all corporal punishment.
• The Department for Education says it is reviewing the Welsh and Scottish reforms but has no plans to legislate at this stage.