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Democratic Engagement

Volume 471: debated on Thursday 31 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) terms of reference and (b) timescale he is proposing for a Speakers Conference on democratic engagement. (183169)

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister proposed in his speech to the National Council of Voluntary Organisations last year that a Speaker's Conference be established, to bring together the parties at Westminster to consider, against the backdrop of a decline in turnout, a number of electoral issues including the representation of women and ethnic minorities in the House of Commons. I hope to make an announcement on the way forward shortly.