Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number schools in England and Wales which do not have an automated external defibrillator located on school grounds; and if she will make a statement.

We do not hold information on those schools that do not have an automated external defibrillator on schools grounds, as the purchasing of a defibrillator is a matter for individual head teachers.

However, we know how important swift access to a defibrillator can be in cases of cardiac arrest, which is why the Government is encouraging schools and other eligible settings to purchase a defibrillator as part of their first-aid equipment.

To make it as easy as possible for schools to do so, the Department has negotiated a deal with NHS Supply Chain to offer defibrillators to schools at a reduced cost. Since the scheme was launched in November 2014, 1659 defibrillators have been purchased through this route.