MPs voted 211 to 15 in favour of an amendment to the School Standards and Framework Bill that bans all corporal punishment and brings independent schools into line with the state sector and the rest of Europe.

BBC: Corporal punishment banned for all

Mr Foster's plea to MPs to support his amendment during the school standards Bill's detailed report stage was greeted with loud cheers from Labour MPs but shouts of disapproval from the few Tories on the Opposition benches.

BBC: Corporal punishment banned for all

Conservative education spokeswoman Elizabeth Smith's amendment, which called for the priority in education to be basic standards of literacy and numeracy, was passed with 70 MSPs voting for it, one against and with 47 abstentions.

BBC: Decision time

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