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Private Tuition and Safeguarding

Volume 638: debated on Monday 19 March 2018

12. What steps his Department is taking to ensure the effective safeguarding of children and young people receiving individual private tuition. (904437)

It is ultimately the responsibility of parents to assure themselves about the suitability of any private tutor they might choose to employ before they engage them, for example by seeking and checking references, and asking to see a copy of any Disclosure and Barring Service certificate. It is a serious criminal offence to seek to work with children in a regulated activity after being barred from doing so.

One in four children currently receive tuition outside school, but private and self-employed tutors do not have to undergo criminal records checks, which puts those children at serious risk. What is the Minister doing about that? Will he meet me to discuss a serious case in my constituency and to talk about why the law must change?

I will certainly meet the hon. Lady to discuss the case about which she emailed us earlier today. I would be very happy to do that.