Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department discussed the recruitment of general practitioners trained in India to practise in the UK during negotiations on the UK-India free trade agreement.

We have agreed a Professional Services Annex, which will require UK and India to identify and encourage mutually interested relevant bodies to enter into negotiations on mutual arrangements for recognition of professional qualifications. Regulated professions, which include dentists, pharmacists and medical practitioners in the UK, will be within the scope of the annex. These commitments will not affect the autonomy of UK relevant bodies nor compel them to engage in dialogues where there is no mutual interest.

The ability of Indian professionals to supply professional services in the UK will remain subject to the UK's domestic regulatory and immigration systems.