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Cancer: Research

Asked by Alex BallingerLabourDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled Answered 16 December 2025UIN 97682

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to support research teams undertaking long-term cancer prevention and early-detection research.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology invests approximately £200 million annually in cancer research via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spent £141.6 million in 2024/25 via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The Office for Life Science’s Cancer Healthcare Goal Programme has invested over £16 million to support development of early detection innovations, such as multi cancer detection tests. DHSC will be publishing a National Cancer Plan for England in the new year. This will set out the Government’s long-term strategy to improve outcomes for cancer patients, including prevention and early-detection R&D.

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