THE Evening Times campaign for an opt-out system of organ donation is back under the spotlight at Holyrood.

Our petition to persuade the Government to change Scotland's transplant laws will be discussed by MSPs tomorrow.

A panel will decide if the petition is be continued, which could pave the way for legislative change in the future.

The Evening Times wants the Scottish Government to move towards an opt-out system, where everyone is considered a donor, but the right to say no is respected.

Major charities including the British Heart Foundation, Kidney Research UK and the British Medical Association believe it is the most efficient way to drive up donation rates.

Wales is proposing to switch to this system in 2015 and Northern Ireland's political leaders have signalled their support for the opt-out system with the launch of a consultation.

Figures show the number of Scots donating organs has increased by 74% in five years.

There were 94 donors last year compared to 54 in 2007/8, with 285 Scots receiving life-saving transplants, a rise of 36%.

The Evening Times has been credited with contributing to the rise in donation rates through our campaign.

However, despite having the highest rates in the UK, more than half of the Scottish population is still not on the organ-donor register. Michael Matheson, Minister for Public Health, has said: "We can and must do more to help."

The Scottish Transplant Group has been developing a new donation and transplantation plan for Scotland.

This will be a companion-piece to the new UK Strategy which the four UK Health Departments have been developing together.

The Health Minister has said it will "focus on those strategies which we consider will have the biggest impact in donation rates."

The plan is expected to be published in the next few weeks.

caroline.wilson@ eveningtimes.co.uk