Is there a 'London Centric' attitude in DCSF?

On the 27th January we held the Fathers Plus conference Involving Men in Children's Learning: Evidence from Successful Practice at the Radisson Hotel in Durham. Over 100 people attended and engaged in a day of lively debate, sharing of learning and making new connexions and contacts. It was interesting that a few months before we held this conference the DCSF sent out a request, through various websites and organisations, for information about any ‘good practice’ that was happening on the topic of including men in children’s learning. I contacted them by email three times and informed them of the conference we were holding and got no response. They did not attend the conference and we have had no follow up request from them to share the good practice we know of and which we have also developed. It does make me wonder if there is a ‘London Centric’ attitude in the DCSF? Here in the North and North East of England we have some of the most cutting edge, innovative and effective practice on this topic but it does not seem to be acknowledged, recognised or supported. I wonder why that is?