To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the EU/India free trade agreement under negotiation includes provision for movement of workers from India into the UK. (253508)

[holding answer 2 February 2009]: We would expect the chapter on international trade in services in an EU/India Free Trade Agreement to include provisions on the temporary movement of highly-skilled professionals both from India to the UK and from the UK to India.

At this point, FTA negotiations with India generally are at an early stage. Negotiations on services are at a very early stage and there has been no exchange of offers in services.