Consultation on the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill

Tystiolaeth i’r Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg ar gyfer craffu Cyfnod 1 Bil Plant (Diddymu Amddiffyniad Cosb Resymol) (Cymru)

Evidence submitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee for Stage 1 scrutiny of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill

CADRP-585

CADRP-585

 

About you

Individual

1      The Bill’s general principles

1.1     Do you support the principles of the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill?

— No

1.2     Please outline your reasons for your answer to question 1.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

I feel that this Bill has several dangerous and worrying implications for the future of family life and community life within our nation of Wales:

1) if this Bill is passed and becomes Law, parents will potentially become criminals by breaking that law. These parents in all other ways could be loving, caring, sacrificial parents but for one badly constituted law would then become criminals legitimately prosecuted by the State and would face the consequences of that legal action.

2) In days of austerity and continuing cut backs which have seen so many local services cut or even discontinued, it seems absolutely crazy to me, that the Welsh Assembly Government is seriously pursuing legislation which would possibly sink our already overstretched police forces and social services departments. Here in Powys the local Council has continuing problems of recruitment and staff retention; staff are often unable already to service their workloads and yet the Welsh Assembly Government is obsessed with delivering this law.

3)This proposed Law places parents who smack their children (even rarely) on a similar footing to child abusers. This is absolute madness! I'm 51 years old and was occasionally smacked both at home and at school. I cannot think of a single instance when this occurred that I had not crossed some already known line or rule. Everyone - children included - need guidelines. The loving discipline of a caring parent does not amount to child abuse.

4) In discussing this proposed new law with others, I found that I was not alone in my opinions. In fact, I might as well reveal that most people certainly in this community here in mid-Wales as well as in Carmarthenshire which is where i was raised, the majority of people share my views ( or at the very least views remarkably similar). So I did some research and find that surveys of the Welsh population on this very issue consistently show upwards of TWO-THIRDS of the population disagree with this proposed Law.

5) This proposal is perhaps yet another example of the State interfering in territory and in responsibilities which for generations - centuries even, have been the domain of the family unit regardless of the social, religious, political or sexual make-up of that unit. It is time for the Welsh Assembly Government to grow up and demonstrate a maturity becoming of a government institution proportion to want greater powers in leading the nation of Wales.

1.3     Do you think there is a need for legislation to deliver what this Bill is trying to achieve?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

No, none at all.

2      The Bill’s implementation

2.1     Do you have any comments about any potential barriers to  implementing the Bill? If no, go to question 3.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

1) criminalising parents (potentially)

2) potentially sinking already overstretched services, e.g. police staff, social workers, etc

3) the population by a huge margin are against the Bill

4) it is for families to set such house rules and not the state

2.2     Do you think the Bill takes account of these potential barriers?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

No - I think this Bill is very badly conceived and is the result of political meddling of the worst kind.

3      Unintended consequences

3.1     Do you think there are there any unintended consequences arising from the Bill? If no, go to question 4.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

1) criminalising parents

2) abject waste of limited funds - police,  social workers and others no doubt will be swapped AND potentially miss the genuine child abuse taking place locally and/or nationally

3) Welsh Assembly government interference in family life

4      Financial implications

4.1     Do you have any comments on the financial implications of the Bill (as set out in Part 2 of the Explanatory Memorandum)? If no, go to question 5.1

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

1) Waste of funds which could be properly spent on genuine needs

2) stretched resources at policing and social services level

5      Other considerations

5.1     Do you have any other points you wish to raise about this Bill?

(we would be grateful if you could keep your answer to around 1000 words)

Rather than rethinking this Bill, I would prefer it be dropped - that those promoting it would simply acknowledge that on this occasion they got it wrong!