The Orders of Reference are read.

It is moved that the Rt Hon. Jack Cunningham do take the Chair (the Earl of Selborne).

The same is agreed to.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Tuesday 16 July at half-past Ten o'clock.

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The Proceedings of Tuesday 9 July are read.

A draft Special Report is proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read.

Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.

Paragraphs 1 to 7 read and agreed to.

Resolved, That the Report be the Special Report of the Joint Committee to each House.

Ordered, That the Chairman do make the Report to the House of Commons and that the Lord Howe of Aberavon make the Report to the House of Lords.

Ordered, That such Reports be laid upon the Table of each House.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned till Tuesday 17 September at half-past Ten o'clock.

In the absence of the Chairman it is moved that Lord Howe of Aberavon do take the Chair (Kenneth Clarke).

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The Proceedings of 16 July are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Tuesday 8 October at half-past Ten o'clock.

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of 17 September are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned till Tuesday 15 October at half-past Ten o'clock.

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of 8 October are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned till Tuesday 29 October at Ten o'clock.

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The proceedings of 15 October are read.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned sine die.

The Orders of Reference are read.

It is moved that the Rt Hon. Jack Cunningham do take the Chair (Lord Howe of Aberavon).

The same is agreed to.

The Joint Committee deliberate.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to Monday 9 December at Four o'clock.

The Order of Adjournment is read.

The Proceedings of Tuesday 3 December are read.

A draft Report is proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read.

Ordered, That the draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.

Paragraphs 1 to 47 were read and agreed to with amendments.

Paragraph 48 was read.

It was moved by Joyce Quin to leave out "A balance has to be struck, and our view is that a tenure for all members of some twelve years is about right." and insert "A balance has to be struck, and our view is that a tenure for all members (elected and appointed) of 8 years, renewable once, is appropriate."

Which being objected to, the question was put thereupon, and the Committee divided:

The amendment was disagreed to.

Paragraph 48 was agreed to.

Paragraphs 49 to 68 were read and agreed to with amendments.

Paragraph 69 was read.

It was moved by Mr Paul Tyler to leave out "A first-past-the-post system would seem to us to be likely to lead to replication of the Commons, particularly if elections were held at the same time. It would not be possible to ensure that there was sufficient balance between parties in the second chamber. We are aware of the difficulties of various methods of indirect election in a country like ours where there is no federal structure on which to base it. Nevertheless some form of indirect election might possibly be a better way of achieving the aims of representativeness and regional balance in a second chamber."

Which being objected to, the question was put thereupon, and the Committee divided:

The amendment was disagreed to.

Paragraph 69 was agreed to.

The remaining paragraphs were read and agreed to with amendments.

The summary, summary of conclusions and recommendations, and appendices were agreed to.

Resolved, That the Report as amended be the First Report of the Joint Committee to each House.

Ordered, That the Chairman do make the Report to the House of Commons and that the Lord Howe of Aberavon do make the Report to the House of Lords.

Ordered, That such Reports be laid upon the Table of each House.

Ordered, That the Joint Committee be adjourned to a date and time to be fixed by the Chairman.