Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, with reference to the Professional and Business Services Jobs Plan, published on 19 October 2026, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that businesses and training providers in Essex can also access opportunities arising from the plan's London regional PBS Hub.

The Professional and Business Services Jobs Plan sets out a national framework to strengthen the sector’s skills and workforce. The London initiative referenced in the Plan is the Greater London Authority’s Sub-Regional Hub model, for which provision is available to London residents within the relevant sub-region. Businesses and training providers in Essex can nevertheless benefit from wider measures in the Plan, including Local Skills Improvement Plans, apprenticeship support, Skills Bootcamps, AI Skills Boost and other initiatives designed to improve skills provision and strengthen pathways into professional and business services careers.