The government could open the door to new grammar schools, ending a 25-year ban.

Education secretary Kit Malthouse revealed he had been tasked with drawing up possible ways for new selective schools to open.

Legislation will be needed to overturn the current prohibition on new schools, which was introduced by Labour in 1998.

The only situation in which grammar schools are currently permitted to increase their numbers is if there are population changes that drive up demand for places.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Mr Malthouse said Liz Truss had “made clear during the leadership election that she wanted to see work on grammar schools, fundamentally, because there is a desire from parents in some parts of the country to have them”.

“We’re about parental choice," he said.

"Everybody needs to be able to make a choice for their kids. And so looking at that policy seriously and looking at areas that want to have it, or indeed, grammar schools that want to expand, is something that she’s definitely asked us to do.”

But he stopped short of committing the government to a change in the law.

Mr Malthouse said the PM wanted to “address the strong desire in quite a lot of parents to reflect the benefits that many got from grammar schools, in the wider education system".

He added: "So we’re definitely obviously going to be beavering away at that, and see where we get to”.

Previous Prime Ministers have attempted but failed to introduce new grammar schools.

But Kent - which is the largest selective authority in the country - has seen two grammar school annexes open in recent years, the first being in Sevenoaks, which is run by the Weald of Kent Girls Grammar School.

Any attempt to lift the current ban would be a political challenge, with any new Bill likely to face opposition in the House of Lords.