Asked by: Jim Murphy (Labour - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on (a) the issue of passports and (b) legal recognition for those who do not associate with a particular gender; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
We understand the concerns of those people who do not associate with a particular gender. UK law recognises only male and female gender and to introduce a third category denoted by an ‘X’ would require a change in primary legislation. We would not envisage the passport being changed in isolation without legislative change, as there would be an impact on other areas such as sex discrimination, nationality, adoption, human embryology, immigration, and gender recognition. Such a change would need to be on the basis that it was required by law, that it provided additional benefits to the applicant, and that the high standards of public and personal safety achieved by the UK passport were not diluted. We continue to monitor the situation and work with colleagues and interested parties in the UK and internationally. However, there are no current plans to change domestic legislation to add to or remove the male and female gender, or to make this change to the passport process