A group of cross-party MPs, led by Labour's Kevin Barron, were unable to force through the ban during a debate yesterday on amendments to the Children and Young Persons Bill.
There were just four hours to debate the legislation, which were taken up with discussing the main points of the Bill, including fostering issues and residential placements.
Children's minister Beverley Hughes said that while the Government did not encourage or condone smacking, it did not support a ban that would make smacking a crime.
She said, 'If we put a ban on smacking into legislation, it would mean in practice that a mother who gives her child a mild smack on the hand when they refuse to put back sweets picked up at the supermarket checkout could end up facing criminal charges.'
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