Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the reasons for which employment businesses on the Crown Commercial Services framework (a) and (b) have not furloughed supply teachers.

The Department does not collect data on the employment practices of private businesses. All businesses, including employment businesses, should make assessments of the work available for their employees before making decisions on using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Businesses supplying services and/or labour to the public sector should also take into consideration the service continuity payments they are receiving and should not furlough staff where payments continue, as per the Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note 02/20.

Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0220-supplier-relief-due-to-covid-19.

Further information for schools on supply teachers is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-school-closures/guidance-for-schools-about-temporarily-closing#supply-teachers-and-other-contingent-workers.