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The Foster Report on Scientology (HMSO 1971) concluded that psychotherapy in the UK should be controlled by legislation. The analysts, psychiatrists and behaviourists approached the DHSS (1974) to be told (1975) that there was no hope of legislation. Between 1975-8 the Profession's Working Party conferred widely within the field and proposed indicative legislation and a psychotherapy council (Sieghart 1978). In 1981 a private member's bill to create a Council of Psychotherapy (the Bright Bill) was talked out (House of Commons), and the DHSS stated that until the profession could agree on the need for a register of practitioners and who should be on it the government would not act. In January 1982 the BAC conducted (in Rugby) a symposium for interested parties to discuss the issues raised by the DHSS's position; a working party was formed to arrange a conference. The issue of registration was put on hold whilst participants developed a dialogue to create the basis for a Standing Conference. Since 1982 the conference has met annually under its working party, trying through discussion to develop a constitution all can accept.