NO matter how small the risk, the Government is right to ban blood donations from people who have had transfusions.

While there is a possibility of a link to vCJD, and no way of telling if blood products are safe, a safety first policy has to be adopted.

But with an estimated 52,000 donors being excluded, the impact on blood stocks - already too low - will be significant.

The fact that only 1.7 million people are regular blood donors in a country with a population of more than 60 million is a shocking statistic.

Everyone of us, or our loved ones, could be dependent on a transfusion at any time and yet the vast majority rely on other people to give blood. How selfish can we be?

Those 52,000 people who will be lost to the service all deserve thanks for their commitment to saving lives. It is vital that they are replaced without delay.

If you already give blood, thank you for thinking of others. If you are not a regular donor, make it a resolution to become one today.

Lives depend on it.

A no-spin budget?

THE build-up to today's Budget has been notable for its absence from the headlines.

Events in Spain have clearly overshadowed Gordon Brown's intentions, but perhaps it is also a sign that the Government is finally heeding the warnings to avoid spin.

With the economy ticking over well in stark comparison to the rest of the world, the Chancellor has to avoid headline-grabbing gimmicks, and sleights of hand, aimed at buying a few more votes in the forthcoming election.

It is a case of "if it's not broken, don't try to fix it".