Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding first aid training in schools in on public safety.

All state funded schools in England are required to teach first aid as part of statutory health education, which is taught as part of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). It includes basic first aid and dealing with common injuries. Pupils in secondary schools are taught further first aid, including how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.

The Department has brought forward the review of the RSHE statutory guidance. Stakeholders and interested parties will have the opportunity to contribute to the review through a public consultation. Following the consultation, the Department will make a decision regarding any new content to be included in the RSHE curriculum. The Department expects to publish the revised guidance in 2024.