MP Pounds the campaign trail over 'archaic' Children's Act

12:20pm Monday 27th September 2004

EALING North MP Stephen Pound has given his backing to a campaign against physical punishment of children.

The NSPCC is lobbying for the abolition of the 19th century legal defence of reasonable chastisement' which sanctions the physical punishment of children in the Children's Act and Mr Pound is backing the campaign to abolish it under the Children's Bill.

He said: "We all share a responsibility to look out for children. The Bill we have before Parliament presents one of the best opportunities in the last 15 years to safeguard children and I fully advocate the scrapping of the obsolete, outdated and discredited defence of reasonable chastisement."

If the bill is passed it would give children the same protection as adults under the law on assault.

Lucy Thorpe, NSPCC Policy Advisor, said: "We are asking all MPs to give equal protection to children under the law. There is a real opportunity before us to remove an archaic law that is clearly out of step with the values of modern society and at the same time send a message that hitting children is wrong.

"We urge all MPs to commit to changing this legislation so that it clearly says hitting children is just as unacceptable and unlawful as hitting anyone else."

For more information visit www.nspcc.org.uk/campaigning