Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will take steps to close potential pay differentials between school teachers and further education lecturers.

It is for further education (FE) providers to set the terms and conditions of their staff and the department plays no role in setting FE teachers’ pay. The department has made available an extra £1.6 billion for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year, compared with the 2021/22 financial year, in the latest Spending Review. This is in addition to the £291 million for 16-19 education in the 2021/22 financial year, and the £400 million that the department provided in the 2020/21 financial year.

The department will also be investing nearly £52 million in the Further Education Workforce in the 2022/23 financial year, to continue to support the FE sector with the recruitment, retention, and development of teachers. This includes tax-free bursaries worth up to £26,000 each, which are available to support FE teacher training in priority subject areas for the 2022/23 academic year.