Yes, I think the Member’s making a very important point. It’s essential that we introduce this legislation with support for parents. What we want to do is to try to make the job of parenting easier, and I think we all know that parenting is difficult, and parents welcome all the advice and help they can get. So, it’s absolutely essential that when we introduce this legislation, we also make sure that there is support and help, and we are working with the different agencies—we're working with the police to discuss diversion schemes and we're working with other organisations to see what help and support can be given. So, I think she makes an absolutely important point.

So, in light of recommendations from the Children, Young People and Education Committee, I've also looked with my colleagues—the Minister for Health and Social Services and the Minister for Education—at the role of the Healthy Child Wales programme and the new curriculum in supporting current parents, and in equipping children and young people to become the parents of the future. And I think that’s very essential that what happens in school helps prepare them for the future.

We want positive parenting to be the way we do things in Wales, and if this Bill is passed, if the Assembly passes this Bill, how the Bill is going to be implemented will be absolutely crucial. We've been working very closely with the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, CAFCASS Cymru and social services to consider its impact and implementation, including considering guidance and training needs. We've established a strategic implementation group and four task and finish groups to take this work forward. I also agree with the Children, Young People and Education Committee that sufficient time will be needed between Royal Assent and commencement for the important awareness-raising and implementation work to take place.

I welcome the recognition of the importance of data collection in enabling assessment and evaluation of the Bill’s impact. Obtaining and analysing data was and remains a priority. So, we will continue to work closely with stakeholders to find ways to collect relevant data for a period prior to implementation to establish baselines, and following commencement to monitor the Bill. I will bring forward a Government amendment to place a commitment to undertake post-implementation evaluation of the Bill. We will also carry out regular surveys to track the success of our awareness-raising activity and the impact on public opinion towards the physical punishment of children.

I want to emphasis however that there is no international evidence to suggest that either the police or social services will be overwhelmed by a decision to remove the defence of reasonable punishment, and the police, CPS and social services have also confirmed this in their evidence to the committee. Furthermore, last week I met the Children’s Commissioner for Scotland. As you know, Scotland are going through a similar process. They are introducing a Bill at the same time as we are. The Children’s Commissioner for Scotland is a New Zealander, and in August he met with the police, social workers and the parenting organisations in New Zealand—and of course, New Zealand has got a similar legal jurisdiction to ourselves, and they implemented this 10 years ago—and he said that they were unanimous in being absolutely positive about the change of their law there. Social workers welcomed the clarity the law has provided, and the police said it hadn't led to increased prosecution. Rather, it had provided clarity for officers and allowed for supportive interventions. These front-line workers in New Zealand cited the progressive change there’s been in public attitudes over the last decade, and that is backed up by Government surveys of the population. So, I thought it was very good to have first-hand information about what’s happening in New Zealand.

And I want to close by saying that devolution has given Wales a unique opportunity to lead the way on a number of issues in the UK. Just two of them: we introduced the 5p carrier bag charge, which has dramatically cut the number of single-use carrier bags used, followed by other parts of the UK; we changed the law on organ donation and we now have the highest consent rate of all the UK nations. We now have an opportunity to change the law on the physical punishment of children and remove this defence, which has meant children are treated differently in the eyes of the law. I can't think of anything more important myself that we can do than to protect our most vulnerable children. So, in the past, where Wales has led, others have followed. Let's be bold in this case and let's support this legislation today. Diolch yn fawr.