OXFORD University is to get £12.5 million for bioscience research, it was announced today.

Business secretary Vince Cable revealed the university was among those to benefit from a £125 million pot to keep the UK as a world leader in the field.

The cash is expected to support 1,250 PhD students at institutions across the UK.

Mr Cable made the announcement during a visit to the University of Edinburgh.

The Liberal Democrat MP said: "The UK is a world leader in this field and we want to remain at the head of it.

"Looking to the longer-term beyond this immediate economic crisis, Britain is going to have to develop what I call an industrial strategy, working with some of our core industries where Britain is a world leader and it's areas like aerospace, motor vehicles and life sciences.

"The money that we're putting into this work in life sciences will strengthen those industries and keep Britain ahead of the field, and it will lead thereby to exports and to jobs."