19 October 2011 – The National Assembly for Wales debated a motion urging the Welsh Government to bring forward legislation to end the availability of the defence of "lawful chastisement" for an offense of assaulting a child. The motion was passed by 24 votes to 15. In the debate Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services reiterated the Welsh Government’s commitment to make physical punishment of children and young people unacceptable through the promotion of positive alternatives. However she explained that "A great deal of preparatory work would need to be done to pave the way for legislation of this sort, and we would not be able to bring forward legislation during the term of this Assembly."
May 2011 – Following elections to the National Assembly for Wales, the Assembly’s new legislative powers come into force. It is widely agreed that Wales now has the legislative powers to ban smacking.
March 2011 -Rights of Children and Young Persons Measure 2011 gains Royal Assent. The Measure embeds the UNCRC into law and places a duty on Welsh Ministers to have due regard to the rights of children and young people as defined by the Convention
March 2011 – Wales voted Yes in a referendum on greater legislative powers
November 2009 -Welsh Government published its Action Plan in response to the UN Committee’s concluding observations Getting it Right. Priority 10 of the Plan is "working to make physical punishment of children and young people illegal in all situations"
June 2009 -Welsh Ministers signed up to the Children are Unbeatable Campaign Statement. The stated that, "We have a longstanding policy of opposition to corporal punishment and promote positive non-violent forms of discipline. We accept the UN Committee’s recommendation that the reasonable punishment defence ought to be removed so that children and young people can enjoy the same level of protection in law as adults do."
October 2008 - Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that the UK State Party "The Committee, while noting amendments to legislation in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland which restrict the application of the defence of "reasonable chastisement", is concerned that this defence has not been removed. The Committee welcomes the commitment of the National Assembly in Wales to prohibiting all corporal punishment in the home, but notes that under the terms of devolution it is not possible for the Assembly to enact the necessary legislation."
April 2008 - Launch of the Help at Hand toolkit.
14 February 2007 - an event was held at the Senedd in Cardiff attended by Jane Hutt AM, the Minister for Children. Peter Newell, Chair of Children are Unbeatable Alliance & End Physical Punishment of Children, spoke on the UN Study on Violence Against Children. Sam Clutton, Barnardo’s Cymru spoke about the report on the Help at Hand project.
November 2006 – Help at Hand: Promoting Alternatives to SmackingMinister for Children Jane Hutt recently launched the final report on "Help at Hand". The report provides an evaluation of a programme of activities promoting alternatives to smacking children
Children are Unbeatable! Cymru commissioned a programme of events in Briton Ferry West to evaluate what might change attitudes towards the physical punishment of children, and how to provide advice and support to parents and carers to provide positive, non-violent discipline.
Jane Hutt, said: "I am impressed by the way in which the Help at Hand Week has engaged the whole community here in Briton Ferry – parents, children and professionals. I hope that you will be able to keep that momentum going. I was particularly interested to hear that parents put a great deal of importance in getting information, support and advice from local sources, such as their health visitors.
CAU’s "Briefing Paper – Help at Hand" can be downloaded here, or a hard copy can be obtained from Children in Wales.
15 May 2006 - Promoting alternatives to smacking childrenMinister for Children, Jane Hutt launched a week-long campaign to promote alternatives to smacking children. The event, organised by `Sdim Curo Plant!/ Children are Unbeatable!, aimed to bring parents together to share their experiences and learn new ways of encouraging good behaviour.
January 2006 - UNCRC Monitoring Group Wales Report 2006 - Corporal Punishment From 'Righting the Wrongs: the reality of children's rights in Wales' (Save the Children, 2006)
May 2004 - Assembly Plenary Debate on the Children Bill.
February 2004 - National Assembly publish 'Rights to Action'.
January 2004 - fact finding visit to Sweden with Welsh MPs and AMs.
January 14 2004 -Debate on Children's Green Paper, Amendment 5 "The National Assembly regrets that the UK government continues to retain the defence of reasonable chastisement and has taken no significant action towards prohibiting the physical punishment of children in the family"
(In favour 41, Abstain 3, Against 9)
October 2002 - Welsh Assembly Government Cabinet Statement against the physical punishment of children in favour of legal reform and support for parents. WAG then make representations to Westminster, via letters to Ministers, response to Every Child Matters consultation and representations during the passage of the Children Bill in 2004.
February 2002 - Welsh Childminding Regulations which stated that childminders should not hit children in their care.
January 2002 - A short debate in the National Assembly "Hitting people is wrong and children are people too", chosen by Christine Chapman AM.