Political jockeying over TV election debates risks a return to the historical pattern of failure to ensure the debates reach our screens. The Committee argues that this would be regrettable in light of powerful evidence that the public expects the debates to happen again. Research also shows that the debates helped to energise and engage the public in the electoral process, with the most striking impact on the young and relatively disengaged. The Committee also argues that speculation over who can participate in the debates is sometimes misinformed. A proper account of the legal and regulatory framework around broadcasting, which the Committee sets out in this report, is important in answering some of the questions which have been raised about who can participate and the way the broadcasters reach this judgement. Finally, the Committee proposes a number of reforms to the debates under the continuing editorial stewardship of the broadcasters. If the debates take place again in 2015 and beyond, the broadcasters should make more of the opportunity to encourage the public to be interested in the electoral process; they should establish an online portal or hub for the debates to ensure their easy discoverability alongside other election resources; and they should make sure to consider the balance of gender and ethnic diversity among the moderators