To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress he has made on delivering an agreement with the EU on the Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications as committed to in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a framework to facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. In May 2021, the Government published technical guidance for regulators and professional bodies proposing professional qualifications for recognition through the TCA framework on GOV.UK. In August 2022 the Government launched a Recognition Arrangements Grant Programme to support regulators' financial costs to agree recognition arrangements. On 3 October 2022, the UK and EU regulators for architecture submitted the first joint recommendation to the Partnership Council. The UK and EU discussed the recommendation at the Services, Investment and Digital Trade Specialised Committee on 20 October 2022 and the Government will publish further updates on the development of this arrangement in due course.