The Royal College of Psychiatrists considers that there should be a statutory body or bodies concerned with the ethical and educational regulation of the medical profession and that a Register should be maintained. The body or bodies, quite independent of the State, should be mainly medical, but there should be increased representation of the public and possibly some representation of closely allied professions. At present the General Medical Council is answerable to the Privy Council, and consideration needs to be given to the question of the answerability of the new body or bodies. It is anticipated that in the future the profession will become increasingly involved in medico-social issues of public importance, many of them with psychiatric implications, (e.g. kidney machines, organ transplants, contraception, abortion, etc.).