Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the UK’s ability to conclude mutual recognition agreements for professional qualifications with priority trade partners.

The Government is committed to improving recognition of professional qualifications with key trading partners. The Government is actively encouraging and supporting the UK’s regulators through guidance on recognition arrangements and targeted funding, to work with their overseas counterparts. This has led to mutual recognition agreements in high value sectors, such as for audit qualifications with Switzerland, New Zealand and Australia.