This is the first report of the Review Group appointed by the Archbishops in 1999 to consider the future needs and resourcing of bishops. It is the first time in which this important - and sometimes controversial - subject has been independently examined.

The report considers the issues underlying the fair and effective support of the episcopate from a range of perspectives - theological, personal, practical and financial. It advances a series of recommendations which aim to address the question of needs and the resources available to meet them within the broader pattern of the Church's overall resources and potential in the first decade of the twenty-first century.

The Review Group has aimed to develop principles of appropriateness, equity, and transparency and to suggest a comprehensive, but flexible system for supporting bishops in leading and serving the Church. The Group also considers the important issue of bishops' houses. This report will be a key document in the debate about these issues.