THE Scottish Parliament has again given time to consider the Evening Times petition on an opt out system of organ donation, to increase the number of organs available and save many lives.

MSPs gave their reasons for supporting a change in the law and also the challenges such a change would involve and what reservations were still held.

The Scottish Government said it is not yet persuaded of the merits of the system and wants to see how it works in Wales. It also pointed to improvements in the number of donors under the current system.

The Petitions Committee has given the Evening Times petition thorough consideration and decided it should proceed, resulting in the constructive debate heard in parliament.

Many MSPs have called for a free vote on the issue when Anne McTaggart's Member's Bill comes to parliament, which seems fair to ensure the matter does not become party political and MSPs are free to vote with their conscience.

The evidence is there, the support is there and, with the proper safeguards which are being proposed, this can save lives.

Improvements have been made with more donors now available than before, but the opportunity to go even further should not be missed.