OPPOSITION to Lord Joffe's Bill does not, as Shirley Mathias suggests, come only from a few religious bigots.

Disabled people are strongly opposed, having seen what is happening in Holland where, in spite of theoretical stringent safeguards, doctors openly admit that they kill literally thousands of vulnerable patients every year, without any request and without even reporting the killings as their law requires.

Lord Joffe's bill would be a first step towards this.

Euthanasiasts worldwide have repeatedly claimed on the basis of slanted questionnaires that public opinion is on their side, but the more people understand the subject the less this is true. It is very dangerous to let doctors cross the clear line that says "do not kill."

D ROBERTS.

Bracknell, Berks