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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Chris Grayling defends child smacking | Chris Grayling defends child smacking |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Justice Secretary Chris Grayling says he smacked his own children when they were young and has defended the right of parents to smack. | Justice Secretary Chris Grayling says he smacked his own children when they were young and has defended the right of parents to smack. |
| The Conservative minister, who has two grown-up children, told the Mail on Sunday smacking young children sometimes "sends a message". | The Conservative minister, who has two grown-up children, told the Mail on Sunday smacking young children sometimes "sends a message". |
| He said it was to be used occasionally but he did not hanker for when children were "severely beaten at school". | He said it was to be used occasionally but he did not hanker for when children were "severely beaten at school". |
| He also spoke about prisons, saying they should be "Spartan but humane." | |
| Parents in the UK are not explicitly banned from smacking their children. | Parents in the UK are not explicitly banned from smacking their children. |
| But the 2004 Children's Act removed the defence of "reasonable chastisement" in England and Wales for any child punishment that caused such injuries as bruising, swelling, cuts, grazes or scratches. | |
| Similar laws exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland. | |
| Mr Grayling, who is MP for Epsom and Ewell, told the paper: "You chastise children when they are bad, as my parents did me," he said. | Mr Grayling, who is MP for Epsom and Ewell, told the paper: "You chastise children when they are bad, as my parents did me," he said. |
| "I'm not opposed to smacking. It is to be used occasionally. | "I'm not opposed to smacking. It is to be used occasionally. |
| "Sometimes it sends a message - but I don't hanker for the days when children were severely beaten at school." | "Sometimes it sends a message - but I don't hanker for the days when children were severely beaten at school." |
| A spokeswoman for the children's charity, the NSPCC, said: "Whilst parents are currently allowed to smack their children, the evidence is continuing to build that it is ineffective and harmful to children. | |
| "There are more positive ways to discipline children and a clear message that hitting anyone is not right would benefit all of society." | |
| Asked about prisons, Mr Grayling said he wanted them to be "Spartan, but humane, a place people don't have a particular desire to come back to". | |
| He said it was not "reasonable for prisoners to enjoy things that those outside on low incomes would struggle to have". | He said it was not "reasonable for prisoners to enjoy things that those outside on low incomes would struggle to have". |
| "My idea of prison is not sitting watching the Sky Sports Sunday match." | "My idea of prison is not sitting watching the Sky Sports Sunday match." |
| He said having access to a TV should be a privilege that is earned and he did not approve of prisons buying "state-of-the-art" kit when most people outside of prison had to make sacrifices to buy them. | |
| Mr Grayling also said he would not tolerate gay couples sharing a prison cell. | Mr Grayling also said he would not tolerate gay couples sharing a prison cell. |
| "It is not acceptable to allow same-sex couples to effectively move in together and live a domestic life," he said. | "It is not acceptable to allow same-sex couples to effectively move in together and live a domestic life," he said. |
| "If such a thing happened, I would want those prisoners put in separate prisons." | "If such a thing happened, I would want those prisoners put in separate prisons." |