The total number of members directly elected and specially elected from the dioceses in the Province shall not exceed F5136 for Canterbury and F559 for York and no diocese shall have fewer than three directly elected members (except F12... the diocese of Sodor and Man which shall elect one member). F6The representatives of the religious communities referred to in rule 35(1)(b), the elected or chosen persons referred to in rule 35(1)(d), ex officio and co-opted members (as defined in rule F342) shall be additional to the said total number. In this rule the term “specially elected” means F7... the representatives of the Channel Islands elected in accordance with the Channel Islands (Representation) Measure 1931 and such persons shall be included in the said total number.

The total number of members to be elected by the diocesan electors of all the dioceses shall be fixed by resolution of the General Synod not later than the last day of F8February in the fifth year after the last preceding election of the house of Laity (but subject as hereinafter provided), and the resolution shall apportion the number so fixed to the Provinces of Canterbury and York in a proportion of F870 to 30 or as nearly as possible thereto and shall divide the number among the dioceses F9(using such divisor method as may from time to time be specified for the purpose by the Business Committee of the General Synod) so that the number of members to be elected by the several dioceses are as nearly as possible proportionate to the total number of names F8on the rolls of the parishes of the diocese in question.

The secretary of each diocesan synod shall, not later than the 1st August in the fourth year after the last preceding election of the House of Laity, certify to the Clerk to the General Synod the total number of names on the rolls of the parishes of the diocese.

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The number of members of the House of Laity to be elected by each diocese, when fixed by the General Synod as aforesaid, shall forthwith be certified to the secretaries of the diocesan synods.

If the General Synod is at any time dissolved F11...before the fixing of numbers under this rule by the General Synod F11..., the General Synod or the Presidents thereof may give directions with respect to the fixing and certifying of the numbers of members to be elected to the House of Laity by each diocese, and the directions may provide that the numbers so fixed and certified on the last previous occasion shall be deemed to have been fixed and certified for the purpose of the election following the dissolution, and the directions may, if the dissolution is known to be impending, be given before it occurs.