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Mr Henry (whom Mr Pendry had not met personally) would be a much
better candidate. Mr Pendry went on to say that he had talked to
the Attorney-General and had suggested to him that some officers
from Scotland Yard should be sent in to help over the Godber case.
There were precedents in Bermuda and Seychelles. The Attorney-
General had thought this a very good idea, but subsequently cold
water had been poured on to it, he thought at the instigation of
the Anti-Corruption Branch. Nevertheless he was sure that many
members of the police force would welcome such an investigation.
They had said so to him. Apart from this, it had been suggested
that the Fugitive Offenders Act should be amended to enable
Mr Godber to be returned. People in Hong Kong refused to believe
that it was not possible for HMG to return Mr Godber; after all,
The Queen had reprieved Mr Tsoi.
3. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that he knew Hong Kong would like
the Fugitive Offenders Act to be amended. We were considering this,
but there were difficulties. For example, if an Order in Council
was brought before Parliament there would probably be publicity, and
this might cause Mr Godber to try to get away. We had taken steps
aimed at preventing him from leaving the country, but he might slip
out through the back-door, eg. through Ireland. Moreover legal
opinion was that to act on the basis of one single case might result
in bad law. Mr Pendry said he appreciated these arguments, and
thought they made it all the more important to bring in Scotland
Yard officers. People in Hong Kong were more likely to come forward
to them than to the Hong Kong police. They could help to find proof
of an extraditable offence. He was sure that there would be no real
resentment in Hong Kong. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said he would
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