The Lord Chancellor has decided to propose to Parliament policies which would previously have been defined as murder or manslaughter.

I refer to the deliberate killing of people by removing fluids and nutrition. Without apparently consulting the British Hospice Movement, medical groups known to be opposed to euthanasia by omission, or representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities, he has produced

a document, "Making decisions: Helping people who have difficulty deciding for themselves", which would allow a revised Court of Protection to impose withdrawal of assisted nutrition and fluid in order to cause death, regardless of a person's previously expressed wishes or the wishes of their families, or even an advance directive. The essence of the change is to regard assisted food and fluid as "treatment" rather than basic care. Treatment can be withdrawn.

The matter is necessarily complex and requires six leaflets to detail - available from Virginia Gray, Lord Chancellor's Department, Family Policy Division 1, Third Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6QT (call 020 7210 0751).

Responses are required by July 10. You can phone and ask for more time to respond.

This is a matter of life and death but hardly mentioned in the media. By the time we are aware of these proposals, it may be too late. I ask all concerned people to please contact your MP and Ms Gray to state your views on this vital matter.

-Maureen A Stack, Hammy Close, Shoreham