UK plans £8b of extra health and education spending

British finance minister Rishi Sunak plans a 5 billion pound ($6.9 billion) programme to fund health research and 3 billion pounds of extra funding for further education in next week's budget, finance ministry officials said late on Saturday.

The announcements, which include a raft of smaller spending decisions, follows news earlier in the day of 6.9 billion pounds for regional transport projects ahead of a major review of government spending over the next three years.

The transport investment is 1.5 billion pounds more than previously planned, as the government seeks to boost living standards outside London through its 'levelling-up' agenda.

"We want to make the UK the best place in the world to start, grow and invest in a business, as we continue to support enterprise, create jobs, and level up as we recover from the pandemic," Sunak said in a statement.

Sunak is expected to set fairly tight limits for most areas of day-to-day public spending in his budget on Wednesday, which will seek to lower public debt after a record surge in borrowing during the Covid-19 pandemic.