Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Taylor Review of modern working practices, published in July 2017, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to improve the working practices in the supply teaching profession.

The Department regularly meets with teaching unions who represent the views of their members, which include supply teachers. The last meeting my department held to specifically discuss supply teacher working practices was in October 2017.

The Department is aware of concerns about insecure working practices for supply teachers, in particular relating to practices of some supply teacher agencies. The Department is in the planning phase of a new commercial framework for schools that use supply agencies. The Department will discuss these proposals with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, particularly in relation to the Taylor Review of modern working practices.