7. What work has the Welsh Government undertaken to implement the recommendations of the Ministerial Supply Model Taskforce Report published on 2 February 2017? OAQ(5)0703(FM)

A working group has been established to take forward the recommendations contained in the taskforce’s report. That includes support for professional learning opportunities for supply and newly qualified teachers, and the development of a programme to support and build capacity in the system via school cluster arrangements.

One of the issues raised by the report was the variable, inconsistent and complex picture of supply teaching. I was pleased to see that the Cabinet Secretary picked up all 10 recommendations, although she did recognise that care must be taken with regulating standards of commercial supply agencies. I’ve got a constituent who is a supply teacher who’s written to me, and she tells me that she’s employed through an agency who deduct a third of her salary before she takes it home. She also feels that supply teachers should be both recruited and employed by local authorities and/or by consortia. That’s her view. Can the First Minister confirm that the Government is, as he’s indicated, taking forward these recommendations and will press ahead with them imminently? But also, what can be done with regard to regulating agencies and achieving parity of esteem between supply teachers and their full-time equivalents?

This will become easier when teachers’ pay and conditions are devolved, but it is right to say that—. I’ve heard it myself in my own constituency about people complaining about agency fees that are paid. There’s no requirement, as far as I can see, that local authorities have to go through an agency; it’s just that they choose to go through an agency. Nor are they required to go through a particular agency, nor are school heads, necessarily. I think it is important that local authorities examine the way in which supply teachers are provided in their areas, even though it’s a matter, I believe, for school heads, rather than local authorities, to make sure that school heads themselves understand that there are options available to them when it comes to recruiting supply staff.

Can the First Minister give an assurance that no school that has a successful model for them of supply cover will have that replaced by a top-down model applied across all schools, whether in Wales or by local authority?

It has to be fair, of course, to the supply teachers. A successful model will be one where teaching staff are available to a school, but where teaching staff are treated fairly as well. That, to me, is a successful model. Where those models exist, there seems to be no reason to change them.

One of the great disappointments, I think, when the Minister’s written response to the report was published, was that the Government at the time wasn’t able to give any lead on the two recommendations that were most far-reaching in terms of providing a solution to this situation, namely regulating the private sector, as Hefin David mentioned, in terms of improving standards, but also creating a regional system for direct employment. The Government had pledged to come back with a response once more work had been completed on those two points. Is the Government in a position to publish that response now?

With regard to the regional footprint, we’re moving on with that—I can confirm that—to ensure that that does happen. With regard to dealing with business in the private sector, of course, there are issues that cross into an area that hasn’t been devolved. So, at present, we are considering how far we can go with that.

Thank you, First Minister.