Driving schools are not breaking the law if they take payment for lessons in the form of sexual favours, two cabinet ministers have confirmed.

Justice minister Ard van der Steur and transport minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen addressed the issue after ChristenUnie politician Gert-Jan Segers tabled a question in parliament about ‘illegal prostitution’.

The ministers’ reply: offering driving lessons in exchange for sex did not amount to prostitution, since sex was not being sold. However, performing the transaction the other way round – offering sex for lessons – would be an offence. Both parties also have to be over 18.

The two ministers noted the practice was ‘undesirable’ but not against the law. They added that driving instructors could not be struck off for the practice because there was no danger to traffic.

The news will be a shot in the arm for the small legion of (mostly male) computer technicians, handymen and driving instructors who offer their services online in exchange for personal services.

It is not known how common such deals are. Police in Rotterdam carried out an investigation into so-called ‘sex exchanges’ but the results were not published.

Auto trade organisation Bovag has called in the past for the government to take action against driving instructors who give lessons in exchange for sex through measures such as carrying out disclosure checks (VOG) on all driving instructors.