Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of increasing societal awareness of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator use to improve survival rates in response to cardiac arrest in (a) homes, (b) workplaces and (c) public spaces.

No assessment has been made of the potential merits of improving access to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation training and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in more deprived areas of the country where incidences of cardiac arrest are higher. Similarly, no assessment has been made of the potential merits of increasing societal awareness of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and AED use to improve survival rates in response to cardiac arrest in homes, workplaces and public spaces.

The Government has agreed to provide funding of £1 million to design a grant scheme for the expansion of AEDs that expands the number and accessibility of publicly supported access to defibrillators.