On 15 June 1976 the Chairman of the Mental Deficiency Section read a statement to Council, expressing that Section's serious concern about the grave situation facing services for the mentally handicapped and the future of the specialty (News and Notes, October 1976, p 1). Council set up a Special Committee under the Chairmanship of the President to investigate the situation and prepare comments and recommendations for its consideration. The result is this Memorandum which Council has approved. The members of the Special Committee were Drs V. Cowie, A. Fairburn, Professor P. Graham, Drs W. A. Heaton-Ward, L. Hersov, T. Lawlor, W. R. McKibben, Professor D. Pond, Dr D. Primrose, Professor G. Russell, Drs B. Scally and A. Shapiro.

This Memorandum was prepared, following a request from the Department of Education and Science, by a Special Committee of the College under the Chairmanship of Dr J. H. Kahn. The other members of the Committee were Drs S. Wolkind, D. M. Lynch, A. Bentovim and D. Westbury, representing the four Specialist Sections of the College.

A course on Research Methodology and Statistics sponsored jointly by the Research Committee and the Department of Postgraduate Studies, Manchester University, was held in the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of South Manchester on 5/6 and 26/27 November 1977.

This paper discusses the special problems of consultants' responsibilities in child and adolescent psychiatry, following the College memorandum (Bulletin, September 1977, pp 4–7). In particular consideration is given to the implications of consultants working in multidisciplinary teams and attached to clinics, residential homes and schools administered by the Local Authority. Ever since 1927, when Emanuel Miller opened the East London Child Guidance Clinic, a multidisciplinary team approach has been the elected method for dealing with psychiatric problems of children and their families.