A government bill to ban parents from physically punishing children in Wales has received a boost after attracting support from police, social workers and teachers.

Frontline professionals have said legislation to stop fathers, mothers and other adults acting in a parental capacity smacking to punish would make their task of protecting children easier.

The Welsh assembly’s children, young people and education committee has been scrutinising the Labour-led government’s bill and has heard from hundreds of parents, organisations and professionals.

In a report published on Friday the committee said concerns had been flagged up by some that the new law could be confusing, costly and hard to police. Some parents and church groups also argued parents had the right to teach children right from wrong by smacking.

The committee chair, Lynne Neagle, said members accepted there were strongly held views on both sides. But she said: “An important part of our work has been to hear from those working on the front line with responsibility for protecting children. Those we have spoken to include the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, social services, teacher representatives and a wide range of health professionals including GPs, nurses, health visitors, paediatricians and psychiatrists.

“Without exception, these frontline professionals have told us that this bill will improve their ability to protect children living in Wales because it will make the law clear. We have been told that, as a result, this will help them better protect children. Professionals also told us that this bill will make a significant difference because it provides a clear line for them and, importantly, a clear boundary that parents, children and the wider public can clearly understand.

“On balance, the majority of our committee believes there is a strong argument that this bill will reduce the risk of potential harm to children and young people.”

But the committee also set out 20 recommendations including making sure there is a wide-ranging campaign to raise awareness about any new law and providing more support for parents so that they did not have to resort to smacking.

It also said that the government needed to find ways of making sure visitors – including English tourists – knew that smacking was not acceptable in Wales. The committee also said clear advice should be given on what people can do if they believe they have seen a child being physically punished.

Members also flagged up that the potential annual financial allocation for the bill’s awareness campaign is only approximately half the spend on the campaign relating to smoking in cars.

If the plans become law, the defence of “reasonable punishment” that has been in force since Victorian times in England and Wales would be removed.

Ministers in Cardiff argue that mothers and fathers would still be able to parent effectively, claiming the proposed law would not stop a parent from grabbing a child about to step out into a busy road, or brushing a youngster’s hair against his or her will.

Among the sceptics is the charity the Christian Institute, which told the committee parents who use unreasonable or immoderate physical punishment can already be prosecuted and added: “It [smacking] is just one of the means good parents may use to teach their children right from wrong.”

A church in Wrexham argued: “It [the bill] treats child abuse and a loving smack as one and the same thing.”

The bill will need to go through several further stages before it becomes law, and the final decision will rest with all 60 assembly members. A debate will take place next month and members will decide then if it should progress to the next stage.

In May the Scottish parliament voted by a significant majority in favour of banning the physical punishment of children. The bill passed its crucial stage one-vote by 80 votes to 29.