Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel on 15 July (HL1644), which regulators covered by the Professional Qualifications Bill do not already have the powers to enter into recognition agreements with counterparts from other countries.

The Professional Qualifications Bill will allow the relevant national authority to enable regulators to enter into regulator recognition agreements with their overseas counterparts. Such arrangements are led by regulators.

The existing powers available to regulators differ depending upon the relevant underpinning legislation. Some regulators may need additional powers to enter into recognition agreements, if regulators choose to do so. This will complement existing legislation. Some examples of regulators in this position include:

• The Architects Registration Board;
• The Intellectual Property Regulation Board;
• The General Dental Council; and,
• The General Osteopathic Council

This list is not exhaustive, as not all government departments and regulators have assessed whether or not they deem that they have the powers to enter into regulator recognition agreements. We would expect engagement to be carried out with the relevant regulator before any regulations were laid to provide these additional powers.

The Government will continue to engage with regulators on the Professional Qualifications Bill, including on whether they may benefit from additional powers to enter into regulator recognition agreements.