§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer given by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 14 July (WA 91), and to avoid any accusation of sexual discrimination, what measures they intend to introduce to promote a new dialogue between men and the Government in order to build a new bond of trust; and in the light of the dearth of men's organisations, whether they will now consider the establishment of a Men's National Commission to facilitate dialogue between men and the Government.
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanWe want to build a strong bond of trust between Government and the people—both men and women. We are currently looking at various ways of achieving this. One of the ideas being considered is setting up a People's Panel which would include a representative cross-section of the population.
187WAIt is widely acknowledged that women tend to feel more disconnected and alienated from politics and government than men. That is why we are looking at a range of options for opening up a new dialogue between Government and women; through more and better communications with women's organisations; and through reaching out to women across the country.