territories.
As for the dependent territories other
than Hong Kong where the nenalty was. still retainoć,
their legislative assemblies had made their views
absolutely clear. RG intended to respect that.
This left Hong Kong which did not have a legislative
assembly. But there was overwhelming evidence from
all forms of expression of nublic opinion, from the
official and unofficial members of the Executive and
Legislative Councils and from the Governor that a great
majority of the neonle of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong
Government itself firmly supported the retention of the
death penalty. The House should bear in mind the
differences between the situation in Hong Kong and
in the UK. The Goverment believed that the matter should
be judged by the situation there and by the views of the
Hong Kong Government. They zonosed to unhold the
Hong Kong Goverment's retention of the death penalty.
3.
After a statement and a debate, a free vote would
be allowed. It would not really be nossible to have
a whinned vote. It might be necessary to have senarate
votes on Hong Kong and on the other territories.
4.
The advantage of taking this action would be that
it would present the issue to the House, in a straight-
forward way and in the atmos-here which would be quite
different from that of a debate after a hanging in Hong
Kong. The value of doing this would depend on the outcome
of the free vote. I think that a number of neonle
CONTIDENTIAL
/assess