What are the moral, legal and physical issues of illegal blood transfusions being used to improve an athletes' performance?

Athletes are using the blood of their team-mates to improve their performance. Illegal blood transfusions are increasingly being used as an effective form of doping in many sports, particularly winter sports. It boosts stamina and improves chances of winning medals. Discuss the moral, legal and physical issues relating to this method of improving an athlete's performances.

Under current British law (2003), a doctor or layman who helps a patient to commit suicide can be jailed for up to 14 years. Opponents of euthanasia have often said that it can be an easy way out for doctors and families. It is easier and cheaper to give a lethal injection, rather than care for the patient, possibly for months or years. What are your arguments for and against euthanasia?

The inter-city and rural railways depend on taxpayers to subsidise their running costs. Should the general taxpayer be forced to do this? Should railways charge commuters more? What is the alternative to rail travel, if there is one? Discuss.

In 2002, police in Wales found drivers using chip fat instead of diesel to run their cars. In the UK, Asda vans have been converted to be part fuelled by chicken fat. Every day millions of litres of untaxed aviation fuel is being burned. For every 80p litre of petrol the ordinary motorist buys, the Treasury takes 49p. Should there be a carbon tax on all fossil fuels, whether used for flying, driving, electricity generation or heating? Discuss your views on the subject.

Some MPs believe that Higher Education students should not have to pay to learn in England. Others argue that the taxpayer cannot be expected to fund the current expansion. Should Higher Education be free for all British students?

2003 saw Indian scientists developing a computer program for drug research designed to reduce the number of animals being used in laboratory experiments by nearly 90%. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this type of program? Discuss other possible uses of computer programs that could assist scientists in the future.

John Myatt, a convicted forger, conned the art world for years. Three years after being released from jail for his part in one of the biggest art frauds of the century, he exhibited his fakes at a Warwick Art Gallery. Discuss the moral issues of this story and your views on the rights and wrongs of allowing Mr Myatt to benefit from crime.

From January 2004, undergraduates at Leeds University can learn the art of computer hacking. They will be taught how to identify potential weaknesses in programs that can be exploited by hackers. What are your views on teaching students how to hack computers? What measures could be put into place to ensure that they don't use their skills for unlawful or immoral purposes?

A study in 2002 found that more people are going to the cinema in the UK than at any other time in almost 30 years. Some say that this is due, in part, to the introduction of multiplex cinemas in the mid-1980s, and Hollywood blockbusters being tailored towards family viewing. What are your views on the popularity of cinema and why people are returning to this form of entertainment?

Although there have been many terrorist alerts and health scares, it appears that many travellers have not been deterred from travelling by air. What are your views on travel by air in the current climate? What precautions would you take to minimise health risks (SARS, deep vein thrombosis, etc.) and how can airlines make travel safer?