  An expert panel initiated discussion on a number of key questions facing the
role of 4-m and small telescopes in the new era of 8-m telescopes. The panel
and audience agreed that the 4-m class telescope role would necessarily evolve,
but would still be important in the coming years. The need for an active
development programme of competitive instrumentation for 4-m class telescopes,
and in particular the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) was stressed. In
conjunction with this, the need to de-commission instrumentation made redundant
by 8-m class telescopes was noted. New operational modes, including greater
emphasis on survey programmes, and possibly queue scheduling, coupled with
changes to the procedures for allocating time were seen as desirable. The panel
and audience supported the Isaac Newton Group's emphasis on the development of
instrumentation to exploit its imminent deployment of the WHT's facility
Adaptive Optics system.
