TA
35)
Mr. Scanlon (G&GD)
Death Sentences in Dependent Territories
The Secretary of State has seen the paper attached to your 35minute of 26 April. He has commented that after the petition
signed by the Bishops of Hong Kong amongst others, we should settle this issue very soon. A meeting has therefore been arranged with the Prime Minister to be attended by recipients of the Secretary of State's minute of 24 April. It will take place at 4.45 p.m. on Wednesday.
2.
The Lord President has particularly asked for information very soon on the position in dependent territories. The Secretary of State has agreed that a purely factual paper should be circulated in the course of tomorrow. I have recast your paper accordingly and should be grateful for all comments by midday at the latest, tomorrow, Tuesday, 1 May.
I have not attempted to elaborate on the various lternatives in the last part of the paper. I assume that the Secretary of State can be briefed to elaborate on them at Wednesday's meeting, and in particular which ones might fit the Hong Kong case, if Ministers decided that a reprieve should be recommended to The Queen.
Copied to:
PS/TUS
Sir Duncan Watson
Mr. Larmour
PS/Mr. Royle
Mr. Wilford
Sir Vincent Evans
Mr. Watts
Mr. Bickford
Mr. Stuart MUCD.
Mr. Huijsman
CONFIDENTIAL
(P.H. Grattan)
30 April, 1973
Page 135(118281) Dd. 391599 1.500M 2:69 Hw.