'Potentially powerful' What the report says on the role of four bishops

The review into abuse carried out by John Smyth suggested a number of senior Church of England figures failed to act on concerns and disclosures about sadistic abuse. This is what the report says about four serving and former C of E bishops.

- Harriet Sherwood Matthew Weaver

Stephen Conway, bishop of Lincoln

Conway told Makin that he had passed detailed information to "an entirely independent authority, in another province, on another continent. I had no power to pursue that authority."

The Makin report said Conway was in a "potentially powerful position" to ensure that the relevant authorities in the UK and South Africa knew the full extent of the concerns about Smyth's abuse. Instead he was complacent, it said.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Conway confirmed that he had received a disclosure about Smyth, and had passed on details to Lambeth Palace and the South African bishop.

He said it was his "understanding" that the matter had been reported to police in Cambridgeshire, and passed on to police in Hampshire where the abuse took place.

"I am clear that I did all within my authority as a bishop of the Church of England, bearing in mind that I had no authority over an entirely independent province on another continent," Conway said. "I acknowledge fully that my fault was in not rigorously pursuing Lambeth about that province-to-province communication, and for this I am deeply sorry."

Jo Bailey Wells, bishop for episcopal ministry in the Anglican communion

Bailey Wells was the former archbishop's personal chaplain in 2013 when news of Smyth's abuse reached Lambeth Palace.