A control system configured to control a surgical robot by a surgeon console remote from the surgical robot, the control system being configured to: receive one or more state signal associated with a plurality of instruments , each of the plurality of instruments being attached to the surgical robot, the one or more state signal indicating: a selectability of each of the plurality of instruments for control by the surgeon console, and a control mode of each of the plurality of instruments from a group of modes, the group of modes comprising: a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; determine a graphical arrangement of icons for display on a display in dependence on the received one or more state signal, where each icon represents a respective one of the plurality of instruments, and output a display signal to cause the graphical arrangement of icons to be displayed; receive a mode change signal indicating a change of mode to the selection mode; modify, in response to the received mode change signal, the graphical arrangement of icons to permit identification of selectable instruments of the plurality of instruments; receive a select signal from the surgeon console indicating a selection of one of the selectable instruments; modify, in response to the received select signal, the graphical arrangement of icons to permit identification of the selected instrument; and enable control of the selected instrument in said manipulation mode by the surgeon console. receive one or more state signal associated with a plurality of instruments , each of the plurality of instruments being attached to the surgical robot, the one or more state signal indicating: a selectability of each of the plurality of instruments for control by the surgeon console, and a control mode of each of the plurality of instruments from a group of modes, the group of modes comprising: a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; a selectability of each of the plurality of instruments for control by the surgeon console, and a control mode of each of the plurality of instruments from a group of modes, the group of modes comprising: a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; determine a graphical arrangement of icons for display on a display in dependence on the received one or more state signal, where each icon represents a respective one of the plurality of instruments, and output a display signal to cause the graphical arrangement of icons to be displayed; receive a mode change signal indicating a change of mode to the selection mode; modify, in response to the received mode change signal, the graphical arrangement of icons to permit identification of selectable instruments of the plurality of instruments; receive a select signal from the surgeon console indicating a selection of one of the selectable instruments; modify, in response to the received select signal, the graphical arrangement of icons to permit identification of the selected instrument; and enable control of the selected instrument in said manipulation mode by the surgeon console. <EOS>