Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to introduce a national supply register for teachers.

Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers, which includes deciding whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence.

The department recognises the role that agencies play in helping to keep schools running when they face teacher shortages and absences. We are committed to helping schools achieve better value for money when using agencies, which is why we have established the agency supply deal in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service. The deal has established a list of preferred suppliers that schools can access, all of which will be transparent with schools about the rates they charge. Our most recent announcement on maximising value for pupils is available at this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maximising-value-for-pupils/maximising-value-for-pupils.

The department has no plans to take steps to introduce a national supply register for teachers.