Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the use of umbrella companies for supply teachers.

Schools and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers and deciding whether to use private supply agencies to recruit and employ supply teachers. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency, this is a private commercial arrangement between the school and the agency.

The Department for Education is not responsible for the regulation of teacher supply agencies or their umbrella organisations. Teacher supply agencies are regulated by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills under the employment agency provisions in the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003.