The government "remains committed" to legislate to establish a register of pupils who are not in school, the education secretary said.
It comes after criticism that the King's Speech on Tuesday, which set out the legislative agenda for the year, did not include anything about the plan to reduce the number of so-called "ghost children".
Often this is pupils who have been excluded from the classroom and then fall out of the system - making them vulnerable to being targeted by gangs.
Making an intervention as Education Secretary Gillian Keegan opened a debate in the House of Commons, Lib Dem MP Munira Wilson said: "What was crystal clear from the King's Speech yesterday is despite her [Ms Keegan's] grandiose statements here, education is not a priority for this government."
The education secretary said that remains the government's position - though she did not say when the plans would be brought before parliament, only saying it would happen at a "suitable opportunity".
