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PRESS RELEASE : New technology and medicines to combat drug and alcohol addiction [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 19 February 2026.

Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction.
- £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction
- Wearable tech, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality projects to be considered
- Part of the government’s Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme to save and improve lives
Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million of government funding to develop cutting‑edge medicines, medical technologies and digital tools to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.

Thousands of people die every year from substance misuse and addiction – with hundreds of thousands more suffering.

Grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support the development and deployment of new technologies designed to improve treatment, strengthen recovery and reduce harm from drug and alcohol addiction.

Health Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said:

Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help ease the suffering – and aid the recovery – of hundreds of thousands of people.

Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this government is already doing, including expanding access to vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and alcohol prevention treatment and recovery.

Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save thousands of lives and billions of pounds.

Around 15,000 people die each year in the UK due to alcohol and drugs.

Hundreds of thousands more suffer the effects, which costs England an estimated £47 billion each year.

The AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards – part of the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences – will help reduce this by supporting those working on new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies, treatment apps and AI‑enabled tools.

These innovations have the potential to transform care for people with drug and alcohol addictions by improving treatment outcomes, preventing relapse and reducing the risk of overdose and death.

Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more.

Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.

This is about using the UK’s scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time.

Professor Anne Lingford‑Hughes, Chair of Addiction Healthcare Goals, said:

Too many lives are still cut short by drug and alcohol addictions, and healthcare innovations are urgently needed to address the immense personal, mental and physical health and societal impacts they cause.

To meet this challenge, I am pleased to be working with Innovate UK to launch these Catalysing Innovation Awards, supporting the development of the most promising medicines, devices and digital tools to enhance treatment and care.

These awards will support UK companies and innovators to build the evidence needed to show what works in real services, ensuring innovations reach the people who need them sooner, prevent deaths and strengthen recovery.

Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director, Healthy Living and Agriculture, Innovate UK, said:

Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Innovate UK is accelerating the development of cutting‑edge drug and alcohol addiction treatments and interventions to move quickly from research into real‑world services.

By fast‑tracking these innovations into the hands of clinicians and support teams, we can improve outcomes for people with these addictions and drive economic benefit for the UK.

Applications open today (16 February 2026), with awards of up to £10 million available to support late‑stage, high‑impact projects that can demonstrate real‑world effectiveness, UK market readiness and progress towards regulatory approval.

These grants will support projects expected to be close to deployment and capable of delivering impact within health and care services.

A second strand will support earlier‑stage innovations, with awards of up to £1.5 million to help promising technologies demonstrate initial effectiveness, strengthen business planning and help them progress.

Successful projects will also receive exclusive access to an education session from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), supporting innovators to navigate evidence requirements and the pathway to UK certification, approval and roll‑out.

How to apply

Applications for funding close on 6 May 2026.

More information about the funding available and where to apply is on Innovate UK’s website: supporting innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges.

An online briefing event will be held on 19 February to guide organisations through eligibility, scope and the application process. Register for the online event

Background information

The AHG programme is being delivered by the Office for Life Sciences, alongside the dementia, mental health, cancer and obesity Healthcare Goals.

The AHG is working to make the UK a globally leading location for researchers and industry to develop, trial and deploy innovative treatments and technologies which will help people recover from drug and alcohol addictions, save lives and benefit society.

Other opportunities from AHG include the Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme, with over £10 million of funding available, to support career development and training for a pipeline of future leaders in addiction research across the UK.

The AHG programme forms part of the Department of Health and Social Care’s ambition to deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system for people experiencing drug and alcohol addictions.
February 24, 2026
NEWS STORY : Historic Funding Boost for the Protection of Faith Communities

STORY

The UK government has committed a record £73.4 million for the 2026 to 2027 period to enhance the security of faith communities across the country. This substantial investment follows a sharp rise in religious hate crime and aims to ensure that citizens of all faiths can worship without fear of intimidation or violence. The funding package is designed to provide both physical security enhancements and on-site personnel for places of worship, schools and community centres.

A significant portion of this record sum is dedicated to the Muslim community, with up to £40 million allocated to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme. This follows recent data indicating that nearly half of all religious hate crimes in 2025 were directed at Muslims. Similarly, the Jewish community will receive up to £28.4 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is administered by the Community Security Trust to protect synagogues and Jewish educational sites.

The government has also increased support for wider faith groups, including Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities, by raising the budget for the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme to £5 million. This represents an uplift of £1.5 million from previous levels, ensuring a broader range of religious sites can access necessary safety measures like CCTV and secure fencing.

February 24, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Record funding to protect faith communities [February 2026]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 February 2026.

Government announces a record £73.4 million in funding in 2026 to 2027 for protective security at Jewish, Muslim, and other faith sites.

Faith communities across the UK can feel safer, thanks to record levels of funding for protective security announced today.

Up to £73.4 million in funding will be available in 2026 to 2027 through the government’s different protective security schemes for Jewish, Muslim and other faith sites. This funding will pay for on-site security staff and equipment such as CCTV, fencing, intruder alarms and floodlights.

Up to £28.4 million will be available through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is managed by the Community Security Trust (CST), for measures at synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres.

Up to £40 million will be available through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, which supports mosques, Muslim schools and community centres.

Eligible organisations can apply on a rolling basis directly with the Home Office.

Last October, the Prime Minister announced the Jewish and Muslim protective security schemes would receive an additional £10 million uplift in 2025 to 2026 to respond to increased threats. Today’s announcement confirms those record funding levels will be maintained through next year.

Meanwhile, the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme, which is for all non-Jewish or Muslim faiths, will receive an uplift of £1.5 million, bringing the total available to protect Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and other faith sites to a record £5 million.

The next application window for this scheme will open later this year.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:

Nobody should be forced to live a smaller life in this country because of their faith.

The funding we have announced today will protect places of worship, faith-based schools and community centres across the country.

This government will never tolerate religious hatred or intimidation.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

We are ensuring record funding to protect faith communities all across the UK.

This goes further than cameras and alarms, it’s about restoring peace of mind and sending the message: religious persecution and intolerance has no place in Britain.

Hate crime sits at unacceptable levels across the UK. The 2025 hate crime statistics for England and Wales show overall religious hate crime was at all-time record levels. Jewish people were proportionately more affected by these shameful crimes, while 45% of all religious hate crimes last year targeted Muslims. Meanwhile, statistics published by the CST last week show that antisemitic incidents in 2025 were at their second-highest levels since the CST began keeping records.

Local police forces have also stepped up patrols in at-risk areas, and we have given police more powers and resources to manage repeat, intimidating protests, investigate religious hate crimes, and support communities who feel targeted.

February 24, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Ministerial Statement on Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan [February 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 February 2026.

Joint Ministerial Statement from the UK and partners on the Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan.

We express grave concern over the continued deadly unlawful attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations as heavy fighting across the Kordofan and Darfur States continues. The recent severe escalation in drone and aerial attacks including those affecting displaced civilians, health facilities, food convoys and areas near humanitarian compounds have resulted in a significant number of civilian deaths and injuries and is further disrupting humanitarian access and supply lines.

In recent weeks alone, drone and rocket strikes on trucks and warehouses of the World Food Programme, as well as on health facilities, have resulted in the deaths and severe injuries of civilians and humanitarian personnel and the destruction of urgently needed humanitarian supplies and infrastructure. Intentional attacks against humanitarian personnel, vehicles, or supplies, as well as wilfully impeding relief supplies, are contrary to international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.

The Darfur and Kordofan States remain at the epicenter of the world’s largest humanitarian and protection crisis. Sexual and gender-based violence is rampant, famine is confirmed and severe hunger continues to spread. Up to 100.000 people have been displaced in recent months in the Kordofan states alone. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, violations and abuses committed by the RSF and its allied militias in and around El Fasher last October risk being repeated in the Kordofan region. We urgently repeat our call to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allied militias to immediately cease hostilities.

We condemn the abhorrent violence against civilians, particularly women and children and all serious violations of international humanitarian law in the strongest terms. These violations may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be promptly and impartially investigated, with those responsible for international crimes brought to justice.

All parties must respect international humanitarian law which includes an obligation to allow and facilitate the rapid, safe and unimpeded access of food, medicine, and other essential supplies to civilians in need. Civilians including humanitarian personnel must be protected at all times, particularly women and girls, who remain at risk of sexual and gender-based violence. Those fleeing must be granted safe passage.

We stand with the people of Sudan and humanitarian organisations – local and international – who are working tirelessly and under extremely challenging conditions to assist them.

This statement has been signed by:

Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany

Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy

Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria

Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus

David van Weel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands

Dr. Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta

Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France

Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain

Juraj Blanár, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic

Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium

Oana Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania

Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand

Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom

Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia

Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Minster for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg

Ana Isabel Xavier, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal

Dominik Stillhart, Head of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, Deputy Director General of Swiss Development Cooperation

Jiri Brodsky, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Nikolay Berievski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria

Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary

Croatia

Poland

February 23, 2026
NEWS STORY : King approves nomination of Richard Simpson as next Bishop of Durham

STORY

The King has approved the nomination of the Venerable Richard (Rick) Simpson for election as the next Bishop of Durham, Downing Street has announced. Simpson, who is currently Archdeacon of Auckland in the Diocese of Durham, will succeed the Right Reverend Paul Roger Butler following Butler’s retirement.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the appointment had received royal approval and confirmed Simpson’s current senior role in the diocese. The Bishop of Durham is one of the Church of England’s most prominent posts, with the office-holder also serving as a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords.

February 23, 2026
NEWS STORY : New Allegations made about Personal conduct of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

STORY

Fresh allegations have emerged about the personal conduct of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly the Duke of York, with former civil servants claiming he billed the tax-payer for “massage services” while serving as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment. The claims relate to his time in the role between 2001 and 2011 and have been reported by several news outlets, with one former official saying they initially refused to approve a massage-related expense during an overseas trip but were overruled by more senior colleagues.

According to the accounts, the alleged massage expense was part of a wider pattern of spending that staff found difficult to challenge, with whistle-blowers describing a culture in which costs were rarely scrutinised and were sometimes spread across different budgets, making overall oversight harder.

Mountbatten-Windsor has yet to respond to the latest allegations made against him.

February 23, 2026
NEWS STORY : Peter Mandelson Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office

STORY

Peter Mandelson has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The police confirmed that they had detained a 72-year-old man at an address in Camden, north London, and taken him into custody for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation.

The arrest is linked to an inquiry that followed the release of newly disclosed Jeffrey Epstein-related files in the United States, which have prompted fresh scrutiny of Mandelson’s past contacts with Epstein and allegations that confidential or market-sensitive government information may have been shared while Mandelson held ministerial office. Reports stress that the investigation concerns alleged misconduct in public office rather than any allegation of sexual offending.

Police also carried out searches connected to the inquiry, with reports describing warrants executed at addresses in London and in Wiltshire, as detectives continue what they have characterised as a complex investigation. Mandelson has previously denied wrongdoing.

February 23, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Serial waste crook, Varun Datta, forced to pay over £1.4 million for widespread illegal dumping [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 February 2026.

Company boss handed suspended prison sentence and massive bill for illegally dumping thousands of tonnes of waste across England.

A prolific waste criminal has been ordered to hand over more than £1.4 million for illegally dumping in excess of 4,275 tonnes of waste across England.

A nationwide investigation by the Environment Agency uncovered a network of 16 illegal dumping sites, stretching from the northeast to the south coast. Farms, a historic manor house and a nature reserve were among the locations trashed.

Varun Datta, 36, of Little Chester Street, London, must now pay £1.1 million, reflecting the financial benefit from his crimes, plus £100,000 in compensation and £200,000 in prosecution costs. He was also slapped with a prison sentence of four months suspended for 18 months, as well as 30 days’ rehabilitation and 200 hours of unpaid work.

The shocking case, which concluded in Birmingham Crown Court last Friday (13 February), involved the prosecution of two other men, with one being fined and the other facing a suspended sentence, rehabilitation and unpaid work. Warrants for the arrest of two other men are still active.

Emma Viner, Enforcement and Investigations Manager in the Environment Agency’s National Environmental Crime Unit, said:

We are glad to see the perpetrators brought to justice in this appalling case.

Despite their attempts to conceal their criminality, our in-depth investigation spanning the length and breadth of the country ultimately uncovered those responsible.

We will never stop fighting to end the scourge of waste crime which scars our environment and communities.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:

This is a shocking case of illegal waste dumping, orchestrated by a group of shameless crooks who thought they could operate above the law.

I welcome the punishments secured by the Environment Agency – which send a clear message to criminals that they have nowhere to hide.

This government is committed to stamping out this type of criminality across the country by boosting funds to tackle waste crime and introducing tougher checks and penalties for those who break the law.

In 2018, the Environment Agency seized £131,520 in cash from Datta’s home address. In 2022, a restraint order was applied to two bank accounts ensuring that any future confiscation order could be paid. After pleading not guilty in 2023, Datta subsequently pleaded guilty in June 2025 to knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited at sixteen sites. The total weight of the waste was around 4,275 tonnes – roughly the weight of 600 African elephants.

The offences were branded “reckless” by Judge Paul Farrar KC. “Smell and flies were a feature at some of the illegal sites and caused a localised adverse effect to air quality,” he said, with landowners “forced to incur substantial costs in removing the illegal waste.” No environmental permit or valid exemption was in place at any of the sites, which were spread across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Lancashire, Kent, Surrey, Rutland and Middlesborough.

The court heard that Datta became a registered waste broker through his company, Atkins Recycling Ltd, in 2015. He acted recklessly by claiming the waste the company handled was being sent to a legal site at Kiveton Park, near Sheffield. However, the loads were actually diverted to unlicensed dumps around the country. It is alleged that an associate, Sandeep Golechha, 55, of Wheatley Close, London, helped to falsify weighbridge documents to cover up the illegal acts.

The £100,000 in compensation to be paid by Datta relates to the dumping at the former Sulzer Dowding Mills Factory site in Middlesbrough, as well as the Middleton Nature Reserve in Lancashire. Middlesborough Council will receive £70,000 towards the cost of the clean-up, while £30,000 will be awarded to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust for the future management of the Middleton Nature Reserve.

Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity is asked to report it to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline – 0800 80 70 60 – or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

NOTES FOR EDITORS
- Datta has been ordered to pay £1,116,432.78 by way of a Confiscation Order. This figure was agreed by the parties. It represents the financial gain to the defendant from knowingly causing the deposit of waste.
- Mohammed Saraji Bashir, 45, of Windmill Street, Peterborough, had pleaded guilty on 3 June 2025 for knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited at three sites. He was given a prison sentence of four months suspended for 18 months. He must also complete 30 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.
- Robert William McAllister, 55, of Iveagh Close, Northwood, London, had pleaded guilty on 7 November 2024 for failing to comply with the duty of care imposed on brokers of waste, in relation to controlled waste that was deposited at two sites. He was fined £750.
- The Court was told that Bashir and McAllister acted as brokers. They both failed to ensure that the waste transferred was going to permitted sites.
- Warrants for Sandeep Golechha, 53, of Wheatley Close, London, and Jason Newman, of no fixed abode, are still active.
- The majority of the waste dumped was mixed municipal waste, wrapped in plastic to form bales.
The Sites
1. Unit P, Continental Approach, Westwood Business Park, Margate, Kent
2. Trelawny House, Straight Drove, Farcet, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
3. Somersbury Manor, Horsham Lane, Ewhurst, Cranleigh, Surrey
4. The Drift, Sewstern, Grantham, Lincolnshire
5. Stockenhall Farm, Stretton, Rutland
6. Yaxley Lodge Farm, Yaxley, Cambridgeshire
7. Conquest Drove, Farcet, Cambridgeshire
8. Humby Mills Farm, Grantham, Lincolnshire
9. Sycamore Farm, Lower Bassingthorpe, Grantham, Lincolnshire
10. Peacock Farm, Muston, Leicestershire
11. Lime Tree Farm, English Drove, Thorney, Lincolnshire
12. Gill Bridge Farm, Boston, Lincolnshire
13. The Limes, Spalding, Lincolnshire
14. The Former Sulzer, Dowding and Mills Factory, Lower East Street, Middlesbrough
15. Middleton Nature Reserve, Lancashire
16. Rhyddings Mill, Stonebridge Lane, Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire
February 23, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Dame Antonia Romeo appointed as first female Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda [February 2026]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 19 February 2026.

The appointment marks the first time a woman has held the role in its over 100 year history.

The Prime Minister has appointed Dame Antonia Romeo as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, following a process approved by the independent First Civil Service Commissioner.

Dame Antonia is currently Permanent Secretary of the Home Office. Building on 25 years of public service leadership, as Cabinet Secretary she will lead the Civil Service to drive change and implement the government’s agenda.

Dame Antonia Romeo is currently the longest-serving permanent secretary in government and will become the first female Cabinet Secretary in the more than 100-year history of the role.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

I am delighted to appoint Dame Antonia Romeo as the new Cabinet Secretary. She is an outstanding public servant, with a 25‑year record of delivering for the British people.

Since becoming Prime Minister, I’ve been impressed by her professionalism and determination to get things done. Families across the country are still feeling the squeeze, and this government is focused on easing the cost of living, strengthening public services and restoring pride in our communities. It is essential we have a Cabinet Secretary who can support the government to make this happen.

Antonia has shown she is the right person to drive the government to reform and I look forward to working with her to deliver this period of national renewal.

Dame Antonia Romeo said:

It is a huge privilege to be asked to serve as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

The Civil Service is a great and remarkable institution, which I love. We should be known for delivery, efficiency and innovation, working to implement the Government’s agenda and meet the challenges the country faces.

I look forward to working with all colleagues across the Civil Service to do this, in support of the Prime Minister and the Government.

Dame Antonia has spent nearly a decade leading economic, public services and security departments. As Permanent Secretary of the Department of International Trade, Dame Antonia set up the new department from scratch as the UK left the EU, bringing together trade policy with promotion and finance for the first time.

As Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice she led the official response to the civil unrest of summer 2024, working across the criminal justice system to keep the country safe, and launched the Sentencing Review.

At the Home Office she has launched a plan to restore order and control to the asylum system and the biggest reform of policing in decades, and led the publication of the strategy to build a safer society for women and girls in support of the Home Secretary.

Appointment process:

Following the departure of Sir Chris Wormald as Cabinet Secretary, the Prime Minister and the First Civil Service Commissioner agreed a process to appoint a new Cabinet Secretary.

Once this process was complete, the First Civil Service Commissioner confirmed that Dame Antonia Romeo is an exceptional candidate of the highest calibre, having run two of the largest operational departments in Government, and confirmed her track record makes her the right candidate for the role.

First Civil Service Commissioner Baroness Gisela Stuart said:

I approved the comprehensive due diligence process and agreed the conclusions drawn, to form the basis for the Prime Minister to make an appointment decision.

Dame Antonia Romeo has an excellent track record in leadership positions across the civil service, including three Permanent Secretary roles in some of the most complex operational departments in Government.

Dame Antonia was found to be a suitable candidate for the role during the previous recruitment process in 2024. Under the direction of the First Civil Service Commissioner, consideration has been given to her performance at the Ministry of Justice and Home Office since the previous recruitment process took place.

An enhanced due diligence process has also been undertaken by the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office and the interim Government Chief People Officer, which will form the basis for the appointments to the Cabinet Secretary role in future.

Dame Antonia takes up the role with immediate effect.

February 23, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Bold bet on AI to keep UK at forefront of science and research breakthroughs from healthcare, to better public services [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 February 2026.

First-ever AI Strategy for UK Research and Innovation marks bold plan to make AI deliver for UK’s cutting-edge science and research efforts.
- First-ever AI Strategy for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) marks bold plan to make AI deliver for UK’s cutting-edge science and research efforts, supporting breakthroughs from health to clean energy and beyond
- AI ambitions for UK’s largest public research funder backed by record £1.6 billion, directly targeted at the AI sector between now and the end of the decade
- From screening for cancer to harnessing clean energy, research and innovation is critical to making AI work for good: a key theme of this year’s AI Impact Summit
AI will be put to work to transform cutting-edge research into innovations that benefit us all – from better healthcare and new public services to cutting edge products.

The UK’s largest public research funder UKRI has set out its first-ever plan to put AI to work for the nation’s world-leading innovators today (Thursday 19 February) – building on the UK’s historic strengths in fields like computing and agentic AI.

UKRI-backed work on AI is already making a difference across society and the economy – from the world-leading RADAR AI system that detects faults on the railway network in real time, to the IXI Brain Atlas which is supporting more than 40 clinical trials into degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s by helping to analyse brain scans.

In the recent Spending Review settlement, UKRI committed a record £1.6 billion of funding directly targeted at the AI sector over the next 4 years, its biggest single investment area for 2026 to 2030. This includes funding for specific activity that UKRI will deliver on behalf of  the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – which is subject to change as delivery plans are finalised. It also sits alongside significant additional AI investment woven through the broader UKRI budget.

The new strategy signals UKRI’s intention to make major investments in mathematics, computer science and engineering research which underpin AI expertise. World-class researchers and businesses across the UK will also benefit from better access to the right tools, training and infrastructure to unlock new growth across the UK. This will help bring to life innovations that make people’s lives better – a key theme of the India AI Impact Summit which continues this week.

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who is leading the UK delegation at the India AI Impact Summit, said:

The UK is backing its pioneering AI leadership with more than £1.6 billion in investment to make sure the best of British expertise develops the next wave of AI innovations. Together we are turning potential into progress and that’s the ambition I am bringing to the AI Summit in India this week.

From spotting cancers earlier to cutting backlogs in public services, new research into AI will be a game-changer, bringing the promise of tomorrow’s technologies to the UK today.

UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan said:

The potential of combining our AI expertise with our peerless R&D community is a game-changer. This plan will harness AI to accelerate both the pace and possibility of scientific endeavour.

We are already seeing AI change the game for what’s possible in fields from health, to energy, and beyond. Boldly backing this technology is how we push our Great British innovators to further success, and build a path to breakthroughs that boost our health, wealth, and wellbeing.

The strategy also commits to expanding doctoral and fellowship routes co-designed with businesses. It will also support recognised career frameworks for research software engineers, data scientists and ethics specialists – supporting the high-paying jobs of the future.

AI is one of the central growth sectors in the UK’s industrial strategy. UKRI’s plan will turn the UK’s scientific excellence into economic advantage by supporting regional clusters, creating new jobs and backing technologies with high-growth potential.

Professor Charlotte Deane, Senior Responsible Owner for the UKRI AI Programme and Executive Chair of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said:

The UK has deep strengths in AI. From the country of Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace, we have a world-class tradition in mathematics and computer science. This strategy will turn that research excellence into national advantage.

To do that, we must make bold choices in areas where the UK can genuinely lead the world. UKRI will play a central role in backing the full innovation pathway from fundamental research to prototypes to scale-up.

By uniting universities, businesses, industry and government we can unlock the potential we have long had but have not yet fully mobilised.

Areas of focus

Under the new strategic framework, investment will focus on 6 priority areas:
- advancing technology development
- transforming research through AI
- developing AI skills and talent
- accelerating innovation for economic growth and societal benefit
- championing responsible and trustworthy AI
- building world-class AI data and infrastructure
Central to UKRI’s plan is building a strong research and innovation community which will support them with the skills they need to become the AI leaders of the future.

UKRI-backed AI research is already making a difference to everyday life, from the world’s first system spotting railway faults before they cause delays to a tool detecting online harm to keep us safe. In healthcare, AI-powered brain imaging is helping to identify early signs of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Now UKRI is now putting its weight behind AI. Under the new strategy, it will help to deliver:
- up to £137 million as part of DSIT’s AI for Science Strategy to back AI-enabled scientific discovery starting with drug discovery and new treatments
- £36 million to upgrade the University of Cambridge’s “DAWN” supercomputer supporting breakthroughs in areas like healthcare and environmental modelling.
Today’s AI is built on decades of curiosity-driven research across mathematics, computer science, neuroscience and linguistics.

The strategy will create an environment where discovery-led research continues to thrive. It will simplify programmes and remove barriers, supporting researchers through the journey from fundamental research to prototypes to scale-up.
February 23, 2026