HC Deb 21 January 2004 vol 416 c1292W
Mrs. Iris Robinson

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the need for the provision of heart defibrillators in(a) leisure facilities, (b) entertainment complexes, (c) shopping centres, (d) other public places used by large numbers of individuals and (e) public places where large numbers of individuals are likely to congregate. [148826]

Angela Smith

The effectiveness of public access to defibrillators is currently being assessed through a research project commissioned by the Research and Development Office, on behalf of DHSSPS, entitled "A study of the Effectiveness and Cost-effectiveness of Public Access Defibrillation in Urban and Rural Populations in Northern Ireland".

This three-year project forms part of a programme of commissioned research to inform policy development for the "Investing for Health" strategy.