What's happened
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected calls to ban parents from smacking their children in England and Northern Ireland, despite the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health urging for a UK-wide ban. The RCPCH emphasizes the harmful effects of physical punishment on children's mental health and well-being.
Why it matters
The debate over smacking children in England and Northern Ireland has intensified as leading health professionals advocate for a ban to protect children's mental health and well-being. The call for a UK-wide ban highlights the potential long-term consequences of physical punishment on children's development and relationships.
What the papers say
The Mirror reports that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected calls to ban smacking children, emphasizing the importance of existing laws in England. The Independent highlights the contrasting views on smacking children in different parts of the UK, with Wales and Scotland already having bans in place.
How we got here
The discussion around smacking children in the UK has been ongoing, with Wales and Scotland already having laws in place to ban physical punishment. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has been advocating for a change in legislation to protect children from the potential harms of smacking.
Common question
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England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest of England and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. England is separated from continental Europe by
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Northern Ireland is variously described as a country, province or region which is part of the United Kingdom. Located in the northeast of the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.
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Rishi Sunak is a British politician who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2022.