Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to allocate funding from the public purse to the procurement of defibrillators by schools.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are currently available for schools and other education providers in the UK to purchase through the NHS Supply Chain at a reduced cost. These arrangements are available to all UK schools, including academies and independent schools, sixth-form colleges, further education institutions and early years settings (including holiday and out-of-school providers).

There is no legal requirement for schools to purchase an AED, but the government encourages them to do so as part of their first aid equipment.

The government has produced guidance for schools on buying, installing and using an AED, which can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automated-external-defibrillators-aeds-in-schools.