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

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, if he will consider the potential merits of increasing funding for life sciences research to approximately £40m per year to maintain spending levels in real terms and support the UK's cancer research base.

The government does not ringfence funding for cancer research. The overall Research & Development (R&D) budget is set at Government Spending Reviews.

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade invests approximately £200 million annually in cancer research via UK Research and Innovation. The Department of Health and Social Care spent £141.6 million in 2024/25 via the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The Life Sciences Sector Plan sets out measures to strengthen the UK's life sciences ecosystem and enable world-class R&D. This includes £42.8 million for the Office for Life Sciences' Cancer Healthcare Goals Programme to support development of cancer diagnostics and therapies.