Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 6 August (HL9825), how the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency records the sex of driving licence holders on its databases; and whether those records reflect (1) biological sex, (2) any valid gender recognition certificate, or (3) self-identification.

A driving licence number reflects the gender of the licence holder as notified to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The seventh character of the number will be a zero or one if the driver record shows the licence holder is male, and five or six if the record shows the licence holder is female.

The DVLA records gender according to the information provided by the applicant and as indicated on the evidence of identity that is provided at the time the licence is applied for.

Those wishing to change their gender will need to apply to the DVLA and provide supporting evidence, which can include a deed poll, statutory declaration or a gender recognition certificate.