The Youth Hubs expansion will increase coverage to more than 360 locations across Great Britain over the next three years. This will ensure that every young person - including those not receiving benefits - can access opportunities and comprehensive support in their local area. All local areas and the years in which they will have a Youth Hub, where one does not already exist, has been announced.

In Essex, Youth Hubs in Basildon and Tendring are due to open in the coming weeks, with Southend on Sea to follow later this year. Youth Hubs in Thurrock, Harlow, Castle Point, Braintree, and Colchester are planned for 2026/27 (year two of expansion). Youth Hubs in Rochford, Chelmsford, Maldon, Epping Forest, Brentwood and Uttlesford are due to open in 2027/28 (year three of expansion).

Youth Hubs may open ahead of the roll out schedule subject to local readiness. We encourage those interested in getting involved in supporting the establishment of a local Youth Hub to contact their local Jobcentre Service Leader.

Young people in areas where Youth Hubs will open later in the three-year period will still receive the full breadth of Youth Guarantee support. They will also continue to benefit from tailored help through the local Jobcentre, and where appropriate support from nearby Youth Hubs, so no young person is left without support during the phased rollout.

Currently academies, which make up over half of state schools, are not required to teach the national curriculum. Through powers the department has taken in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, we will require academies to follow the national curriculum.

We are developing a refreshed national curriculum in response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendations, which will provide pupils with a broad range of knowledge and skills that prepares them for adult life.

The refreshed curriculum will be taught from September 2028, meaning that pupils in academy schools will benefit from a curriculum that is ambitious for every child, enabling them to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The curriculum will be published in 2027, giving schools time to prepare. There will be a public consultation in 2026 on the proposed reforms. As part of wider implementation, we will be considering how to support both academies and maintained schools to deliver the reformed national curriculum.

The department safeguards students at academy schools by setting statutory requirements through the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 and the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance. Academy trusts must comply with these standards and have effective safeguarding policies and procedures in place.

The department also monitors compliance by seeking assurances from academy trusts and reviewing safeguarding arrangements but works closely with local authorities. Ofsted inspects safeguarding arrangements to keep children safe.

Whilst the department’s role is to assure itself that academy trusts are fulfilling their statutory responsibilities, local authorities are responsible for investigating individual complaints, reflecting their overarching duty for child protection within their area. It is essential that such investigations are conducted by individuals with the appropriate expertise and experience. Established procedures must be followed to ensure that all schools are treated fairly, consistently and proportionately.

The Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme is designed to encourage modal shift by assisting with the operating costs associated with running rail or inland water freight transport instead of road, where rail or inland waterway transport is more expensive. Infrastructure improvements cannot be funded through the scheme; as a result, the Department does not assess the adequacy of infrastructure to support increased uptake of the scheme.

The MSRS continues to support freight movement near East Tilbury station and London Gateway, with 10 freight flows supported in 2026/27 with a total grant award of £6.9m.

The Department for Transport does not collect information about MSRS-supported freight movements via stations. The scheme divides Great Britain into 18 zones. Zone 1 covers East Tilbury station. The number of intermodal rail freight flows to and from Zone 1 over the past three financial years awarded at the main February bid rounds are as follows:

The Government is investing in bus services and has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators across the country to improve bus services for millions of passengers.

To support public transport connectivity between Grays and Ebbsfleet, the department has allocated Kent County Council £78.3 million and Thurrock Council £6.5 million between 2026 and 2029. They will have the flexibility to use this funding to meet local needs and reflect local priorities.

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.

The third Road Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) sets the level of performance and investment the Government expects to see in England’s motorway and trunk road network over the period from April 2026 to March 2031. It takes account of evidence gathered over many years from a wide range of sources and stakeholders, and follows a 2023 public consultation. It will benefit all parts of England, including Essex.

DfT Ministers have received correspondence, including from Essex County Council, on the case for the A12 (Chelmsford to A120) widening scheme and on the merits of improvements to the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey.

In finalising RIS3 investment decisions, Ministers considered a wide range of factors, including alignment with government missions; regional equity; impacts on growth, safety and the environment; and the impacts of congestion on all road users, including freight movements, in different parts of the country. This helped ensure that investment is prioritised where pressures on the network are greatest and where improvements can deliver the most benefit. National Highways will set out further details of how RIS3 funding will be allocated in its Delivery Plan, due in early summer.

National Highways engages with local authorities and other stakeholders as it develops its Route Strategies, which assess the current performance and future needs of the Strategic Road Network and inform future investment decisions. RIS3 was informed by Route Strategies undertaken in Road Period 2 (2020-2025). National Highways will shortly be commencing this process afresh to inform the development of the fourth Road Investment Strategy (RIS4).

The potential impacts of the Lower Thames Crossing on other roads in Essex and elsewhere were appraised through the Lower Thames Area Model, a strategic transport model providing detailed representation of the networks in Dartford, Thurrock, Kent, Essex and East London. This ensured that the project’s expected effects on Thurrock’s road network were properly assessed as part of the wider decision‑making process.

Funding under the Road Investment Strategy is allocated to National Highways for investment in the Strategic Roads Network across England rather than by region or by local highway authority area. It is not therefore possible to give a precise breakdown by county of where the funding will be spent. This will depend on asset need, and operational and other spend.

The condition of local roads in Basildon and Thurrock is the responsibility of the respective local highway authorities. The Government has announced a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highway maintenance over the next four years. Essex County Council is eligible to receive £230,943,000 of this and Thurrock £19,416,000. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are matters for the local highway authority.