Dr David Bull said pupils should be given frank details about gay sex

The "gay summit" is seen as marking a shift for a party which only recently dropped support for a law banning councils from promoting homosexuality.

But gay rights campaigner and Labour Euro MP Michael Cashman described the "conversion" as "cynical".

And Tory Ann Widdecombe said the event sent a "misguided" signal to voters.

We want to be a party that represents all sections of our society Tim Yeo Shadow health and education secretary

Organiser and shadow minister for young people Charles Hendry said critics were wrong to doubt the party's motives.

Summing up Monday's event at the House of Commons, he said it had been "very constructive".

He said: "What we're doing today isn't superficial, it isn't pulling a stunt.

"This isn't an overnight transformation. It's not saying that the Conservative Party has completely changed.

"What we're saying is that we want to listen to the views of people across the community."

Counter abuse

Among the speakers was the Metropolitan Police's Assistant Deputy Commissioner Brian Paddick, Britain's highest-ranking openly gay officer.

He said any opportunity to discuss how to make schools and streets safer and to counter abuse was welcome.

"What the Conservatives do as a result of the summit we will have to wait and see," he said.

Senior policeman Brian Paddick said he wanted to counter abuse

Another speaker, Dr David Bull, told delegates that pupils must be given full and frank facts about gay sex as well as straight sex to stop the increase in sexual diseases among youngsters.

He said his stance on gay education would ruffle a few Tory feathers as there are some in the party who continue to support Section 28.

Shadow health and education secretary Tim Yeo told the summit: "We want to be a party that represents all sections of our society and helps people to achieve their own aspirations.

"We believe in the individual, we believe in allowing people to live their lives as they choose and we believe that it is not for the state to interfere in people's lives."

Since taking over the leadership, Michael Howard has indicated his support for gay civil partnerships and given his MPs a free vote on the issue.

[A] hollow, opportunist pre-election stunt Michael Cashman Labour MEP and gay rights campaigner

But several Tory MPs are expected to vote against such partnerships when the Bill is debated in the Commons this week.

The Terrence Higgins Trust and other voluntary groups working with gay and bisexual young people were invited to give their views on improving links with government.

Ben Summerskill, chief executive of campaign group Stonewall, said he welcomed the fact the Conservatives were prepared to "have a dialogue" with gay people.

'Order of priorities'

But Ms Widdecombe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Here we are, supposedly the party of the family.

"We are not offering a family summit, we are not offering a fathers separated from children summit, what we are actually offering is a homosexual summit.

"I am not going to say that there may not be one or two problems we should be looking at.

"But whether this is the order of priorities that we want to be sending out at this time, I am not convinced."

Labour's Michael Cashman described the summit as a "hollow, opportunist pre-election stunt".

Meanwhile Peter Tatchell, of pressure group Outrage, claimed they had been denied an invitation to the summit.

He said Miss Widdecombe's comments had shown "the true face of Toryism".