To whom it may concern

I am a 57 year-old grandmother living in Monmouthshire. I was brought up to respect people and their property and  with the knowledge that stealing is a crime, in principle, whether it be  a pin or a pound that is taken without consent. I also believe in kindness and generosity to others. But I reserve the right to initiate this generosity and I believe that someone's body is their's and their's alone to 'give'.

I believe the suggestion that consent of Human Organs be 'presumed' amounts to stealing - grave robbing almost. And, it surely contravenes basic human rights. One's body is one's own - no one else's and certainly is not 'state' property. When we die we trust that our family will care for our body and lay it to rest, intact, in the manner in which we have requested. Unless we have put our name on the organ donation list I really think 'the state' has NO business desecrating our bodies. It is a vile idea and repugnant. As individuals who may have looked after our own health and bodies we are not responsible for anyone else's health misfortunes, unless we choose to help in some way. If our bodies become state property after we die where will it end? During life will we be state property too? That is a prospect that does not bear thinking about.

I worry about suggested safeguards that organs would not be taken from people who do not wish it. Come on, we all know of horrendous breaches of people's trust - paperwork missing or not up to date being the least of it. It simply is not possible, when someone has died, to be SURE that they don't mind if their organs are removed for transplantation. After all you can't check with them! And if a mistake is made there is NO redress; NO way of putting it right. Like when you execute someone and then find they were innocent. An impossible error to rectify.

I think discounting human error in this scheme would be arrogant and asking for a fall. By all means urge people to sign up for organ donation but do not legislate for presumed consent. It is a step too far, a depressing thought for people like myself who believe that we live in a democracy - not a state-run country like China where prisoners' organs have been ripped from them.

Or are we all just to be spare parts machines at the whim of the state?

Patricia Griffiths