Asked by: Maria Caulfield (Conservative - Lewes)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools have installed a defibrillator.
Answered by Edward Timpson
We do not hold information on the number of schools that have installed an automated external defibrillator on schools grounds, as the purchasing of a defibrillator is a matter for individual head teachers.
We know however 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, 1831 defibrillators have been purchased through this route.