AQA AS Level Redox question

use oxidation states to balance following equation:
Cl2 + NaOH (goes to) NaClO3 + NaCl + H2O

Any help appreciated

You need to construct two half equations (you can use water to add oxygen atoms as the conditions are alkaline):

1. showing the chorine being oxidised to chlorate ions
2. showing chlorine being reduced to chloride ions

Then you multiply equations 1 &2 by appropriate numbers so that the electrons are balanced.

Then you add them together and cancel out any common terms.

using the method of adding h+ ions to balance hydrogen and water to balance oxygen:
5/2Cl2 + 5e-(goes to) 5Cl-
which is correct according to my textbook
Then for the other half equation i get:
1/2Cl2 + 3H2O (goes to) ClO3- + 6H+ +5e-
However the book has the answer
1/2Cl2 + 6OH- (goes to)ClO3- +5e- + 3H20 +5e-
It seems the answer in the book has been obtained by taking the equation i got, splitting the H2O into its H+ and OH- ions, to get
1/2Cl2 + 3H+ + 3OH- (goes to) CLO3- + 6H+ + 5e-
cancelling the common 3H+ ions
1/2Cl2 + 3OH- (goes to) ClO3- + 3H+ +5e-
then added 3OH- to each side to get water on the right
1/2Cl2 +6OH- (goes to) ClO3- + 3H2O + 5e-
Is this necessary, it seems they have left H+ ions in in the answer to the next question?
Thanks a lot