A shake-up of the law on organ donations is to be voted on today by Welsh Assembly politicians.

If Assembly Members back the bill, Wales will become the first country in the UK to have an "opt-out" system.

This would mean that in the event of death, a person's organs could be used without giving consent.

The current opt-in system, which operates across the UK, relies on people signing up to a voluntary scheme and carrying a donor card.

The Evening Times' Opt for Life Campaign has called on the Scottish Government to introduce an opt out system north of the Border

Ministers in Cardiff Bay say there is a desperate need to drive up transplantation rates - with 226 people in Wales waiting for a transplant. They hope the new system will drive up rates by around a quarter.

There has been strong opposition to the changes from religious groups, who want dead patients' families to have a greater say than is being proposed.

But Health Minister Mark Drakeford insisted the new system would be safe, as well as fair.

He said: "The legislation makes it clear if you are uncomfortable with being an organ donor, you have an absolute right in the simplest way possible to opt out of the system."

"You put your name on the organ donor register saying you don't want to be a donor and that is the end of the matter.

"This legislation is nothing to be scared of."

If passed by assembly members today, the presumed consent system could come into force by 2015.

In the interim period, the Welsh Government would have to spend at least £8 million on the changes.

The new consent law would apply to over-18s who die in Wales if they have lived in Wales for more than 12 months.

Organs made available under the system would be the same as the "opt-in" method - including kidneys, heart, liver, lungs and pancreas - and would not only go to donor patients in Wales. They could go anywhere in the UK.

The matter will be debated in the Assembly at around 4pm. It is scheduled to last around two hours before a vote is taken.