Lib Dems vote to ban smacking

Liberal democrats voted this week to ban the smacking of children,
despite warnings that it will heap more pressures on to already
overworked social workers, writes Sally
Gillen.

Shadow minister for children, Paul Burstow,
said that as the law stood “dogs and cats” were better
protected than children.

He dismissed arguments that the introduction
of such a law would lead to convictions for parents, adding that
evidence from the 10 EU countries that had banned smacking showed
no increase in custodial sentences.

Burstow said: “Thirty years ago we led
the call for an end to corporal punishment and we are right to do
this now”.

But those opposing the motion said that it
would create problems for social workers. Phil Hulty, a social
worker, said: “This is a profession where more people are
leaving than joining and now we are being asked to become some sort
of social policemen, which puts us in an impossible
situation”.