The government today ruled out replacing the current organ donor card programme with an "opt-out" system.

The move came as ministers unveiled new laws, in the wake of the Alder Hey and Bristol organ retention scandals, to outlaw doctors taking body parts for research without consent.

Health minister Rosie Winterton told the BBC the government had no plans to move towards a "presumed consent" approach to organ donation - under which people would have to register in order to avoid having their organs removed after their deaths.

She said: "The principle behind this bill is that if a person or their relatives wish to donate an organ, that they should make a positive decision to do so.

"We want people to actually opt in, to make that positive decision, because all the evidence points to the fact that that is the most effective way, alongside having proper controls in place within hospitals to approach relatives at the appropriate time.

"Our bodies are not the property of the state, they are not the property of doctors or scientists or researchers."

The human tissue bill, which has its second reading in the Commons, includes measures to prevent future organ retention scandals such as Alder Hey and Bristol Royal Infirmary where thousands of children's organs were retained without their parents' knowledge.

The bill, which would apply to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, outlines the penalties individuals or institutions could face if they removed organs without the prior consent of the deceased person or their next of kin.

Doctors removing organs without consent would face up to three years in prison and unlimited fines.

A Human Tissue Authority is also to be established to licence and inspect premises and ensure that strict codes of conduct are being observed.

The authority will take over the roles of a number of other bodies, including the Retained Organs Commission - which was established in 2001 to oversee the return of organs to families and provide advice and support.

Ms Winterton and the chief medical officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, have said that the legislation aims to strike a balance between the rights and expectations of families and the need for vital medical research.

The British Medical Association (BMA) had called for a system of presumed consent for organ donation to be included in the bill.

But Ms Winterton insisted that consent would remain the cornerstone of the bill and there was no evidence that presumed consent increases donor numbers.

She said: "The fundamental premise of the human tissue bill is that consent must be obtained to use human organs and tissue whether from the living or after death.

"Following a comprehensive consultation process with patients and family groups, doctors and researchers, a broad consensus was achieved in favour of the measures set out in this bill. The concept of presumed consent therefore has no place in this bill."