Should the Bill be passed through, it will only need Royal Assent from the Queen to become an Act.

It will mean parents and other adults acting in a parental capacity will no longer be able to rely on the defence of reasonable punishment if accused of assault or battery of a child.

Parents have previously been legally allowed to smack their children – given it did not leave a red or lasting mark.

But if the Bill is passed, they may now face criminal prosecution for common assault.

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The Welsh Government's deputy minister for health and social services Julie Morgan said: “In my view, changing the law around reasonable punishment is fundamental in a country that believes in children’s rights.

“It’s time for Wales to join more than 55 other nations across the world, including Scotland, to end the physical punishment of children. This law will bring clarity for parents, professionals and children that physically punishing a child is not acceptable in Wales.”

But Conservative AM, Janet Finch-Saunders said: “The state should not be telling people how to parent.”

“If convicted, parents and families could end up with permanent criminal records, harm to employment chances and potential separation could be the end result.”

Children's commissioner for Wales Professor Sally Holland welcomed the news when it the Bill was proposed in March last year.

“There’s nothing reasonable about physically punishing a child," she said.

"This bill sends a clear signal that Wales is a country which protects children, a country which will afford children equal protection from physical punishment as adults, a country which promotes children’s rights.

Darren Millar AM said: "As I have previously stated when objecting to the Welsh Labour Government's plans, parenting is tough enough as it is, so instead of punishing loving mums and dads, we should be supporting them and providing universal access to positive parenting courses which promote alternatives to smacking as a form of discipline.

“We already have comprehensive legislation in place that the police, social services and others use to deal with child abuse and those who break them should feel the full weight of the law.

"Most parents who use the occasional smack do so within the confines of a loving relationship with the child who they want to raise to be a responsible adult and someone who can contribute to society usefully in the future."