Passports and driving licences should not state whether the holder is male or female as it risks offending transgender people, a former Conservative minister has said.

Maria Miller, who chairs the women and equalities committee, said the government should 'strip back' talking about gender unless it was 'absolutely necessary'.

She said a person's sex is 'not relevant' on official documents and created an 'unconscious bias' in job and university applications.

Passports and driving licences should not say if the holder is male or female as it causes 'problems' for transgender people, Maria Miller (pictured) has said

According to evidence submitted to her inquiry, about 600,000 people in Britain - one per cent of the population - are 'gender dysphoric', or uncomfortable with being a man or woman.

The former culture secretary said she had been deeply moved by personal stories she heard while heading up the inquiry and said transgender discrimination was one of the last remaining forms of prejudice in the UK.

Speaking to The Times, she said: 'Trans people endure day-to-day hate crime and they see that as part of life, almost something that has to be accepted, but of course it shouldn't be.

'One individual said that they constantly had to deal with abuse on the street, people spitting at them or throwing things at them, because of the way they presented themselves.'

The former culture secretary said it was 'not relevant' for a person to specify their gender on their passport

CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FOUR HAVING TRANSGENDER LESSONS Children as young as four are receiving lessons from transgender campaigners – including a man who revealed to primary school classes he is a 'trans man' and was 'assigned female' at birth. Thousands of pupils have had the controversial classes, in which they are encouraged to explore their 'gender identities' and are questioned on what being a transsexual means. Up to 20 primary schools a year pay for the classes, given by campaigners' organisation Gendered Intelligence. Advertisement

Ms Miller, who resigned as culture secretary in April 2014 after a row over her expenses, added: 'As a society and a government we should be looking at ways of trying to strip back talking about gender, and only do that when it's absolutely necessary.

'We need to understand that gender stereotyping can be as damaging for men as it can be for women.'

'For individuals who have decided to transition but haven't necessarily got the right documentation, it can cause problems. Why do we need gender on our driving licence? Why do we have to have it on our passport if it doesn't really add to identification? It's not relevant. Australia has decided to degender their passports.'

Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary and minister for women and equalities, indicated last year that the government is open to discussion on when people should state their gender.

Asked if people should reveal their six on exam papers and passports she replied: 'When and why do we need to know about people's genders? I think that's a big debate that needs to be had. In one way: what does it matter what someone's sex is.'

Elsewhere, the death in custody of Vicky Thompson, a transgender woman who was imprisoned in a male jail, has led to a review of the justice system.