STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
CONFIDENTIAL
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C
14. There is no action which can be taken to forestall these
problems apart from ensuring that Mr Davidson is fully aware of
the legal and other assistance on which he can call and that he is
under no misunderstanding about HMG's attitude.
Mr Ridley,may,
however, wish to minute to his colleagues and to the Secretary of
State, giving them a chance to express their views. It would also
be helpful if the Prime Minister and certain Cabinet Ministers were
informed, ie the Secretaries of State for Defence and the Home
Department and the Lord Chancellor. Besides his general interest
in the question of capital punishment in the United Kingdom, the
Home Secretary will need to bear in mind that any move to abolish
capital punishment in the Dependent Territories might affect the
position of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man where the
death penalty is at present retained.
Д
Bin
17 October 1980
R D Clift
Hong Kong and General Department
сс
PS/Mr Hurd PS/Mr Blaker PS/PUS
/
Legal Advisers Mr Deare, WIAD Mr Payne, MCD Mr Munro, POD
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