TNAG-0409-FCO40-455-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 79

TIMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

GRES 900

CONFIDENTIAL

TC COPY

248

FM HONG KONG 150815Z

16 UCTOS

CONFIDENTIAL

233)

TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 1180 OF 15 OCTOBER. 1973

lakk14/0

UCT

ROT

(234)

N***

REF.

234

(254

YOUR TELEGRAMS NUMBERS 1000 AND 1001: BLAIR-KERR REPORT.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE SPEED OF YOUR REPLY.

2. PARA 1 OF YOUR TELNO 1000: A DECISION THAT THE LAW COULD NOT BE

AMENDED TO CATCH GODDER WOULD BE RECEIVED WITH DISAPPOINTMENT AND

ANGER HERE. IF ANNOUNCED IN ISOLATION I WOULD BE BOUND, AS I THINK YOU WILL APPRECIATE, TO EXPRESS THIS DISAPPOINTMENT ON BEHALF OF MY PARISHIONERS. I DO TRUST THIS CAN BE AVOIDED. COULD YOU NOT,

IN THE FIRST PLACE, POSTPONE A FINAL DECISION IN CASE THERE TURNS

OUT TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL BODY OF OPINION IN THE HOUSE IN FAVOUR OF

FINDING A MEANS TO SEND GODBER BACK?

3. BUT, EVEN IF THE LATTER EVENTUALITY IS INCONCEIVABLE, I DO HOPE

YOU WILL AGREE NOT TO ANNOUNCE A DECISION AGAINST RETROSPECTIVE

LEGISLATION UNTIL YOU ARE ABLE TO COUPLE IT WITH A DECISION TO

AMEND THE ACT FOR THE FUTURE. THIS AT LEAST WOULD PREVENT THE

APPALLING ROW THAT WOULD RESULT FROM A REPETITION, AND WOULD END

THE PRESENT ANOMALOUS AND ILLOGICAL SITUATION WHICH AS I SEE IT

AND I BELIEVE MANY M.P.'S DO TOO - IS QUITE INDEFENSIBLE. IF

THIS PROCEDURE WERE FOLLOWED IT WOULD ALLOW US TO POINT OUT THAT

THE INTRODUCTION OF RETROSPECTIVE LEGISLATION WOULD ONLY HAVE ALERTED

GODBER TO LEAVE BRITISH JURISDICTION, AND THAT THE ACTION TAKEN

BY H.M.G. WAS THE MOST PRACTICAL AND HELPFUL IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

4. PARAGRAPH 3 OF TELNO 1000.

I ACCEPT WHAT YOU SAY.

CONFIDENTIAL

15. PARAGRAPH 4