We are delighted to have been appointed to take responsibility for editing this journal for the next five years. We have taken over a long-established journal that has been well managed by Miriam David and Dulcie Groves since 1994. Our first months as editors are made easier by the fact that we have inherited a substantial backlog of accepted articles. However, we consider it very important that the time lag between acceptance of an article and publication should not be too long, particularly in a journal which contains assessments of and reactions to contemporary policies. Our publishers, Cambridge University Press, share our concern and have agreed that the size of the journal can be increased. However, more than that is required. This editorial has been written to inform readers of the other steps we are taking.