Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to (a) introduce a national register of children education at home and (b) provide (i) Ofsted with additional powers to investigate suspected illegal settings and (ii) prosecutors the power to shut settings down where appropriate; and if she will make a statement.

The Government remains committed to introducing statutory Local Authority registers for children not in school, as well as a duty for Local Authorities to provide support to home educating families. The Department will legislate for these at a future suitable opportunity, to support Local Authorities to undertake their existing duties to ensure that all children receive a suitable education and are safe, regardless of where they are educated.

Since 2016, the Department and Ofsted have worked successfully with the Crown Prosecution Services to secure criminal convictions against those responsible for five settings that were operating illegally as schools. The Government has recognised the need to improve powers to investigate and act against such settings. The Department remains committed to legislating for these powers at a future suitable opportunity.