TNAG-0380-FCO40-426-Sterling-assets-and-balance-of-payments-of-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 25

(17259) Dd.897459 250m 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863 (16941) Dd.897300 250m 9/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863

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Is the understooo the situation, was not the way the case had been put to us.

We had been told that Tsoi should not be reprieved

because his crime was worse than those of murderers

who had been reprieved. But to have allowed the law

to take its course in Hong Kong would have led to a

major row in Parliament.

There

have

There would beâ vote of

censure the Secretary of State which might have

been carried. Mr Woo said that some Labour MPs had

concludes also made this point to him. Mr Royle countered by

saying that the most recent figures on violent crime

that he had seen appeared to indicate that its rise

levelling was now phasing out.