TNAG-0410-FCO40-456-Allegations-of-bribery-and-corruption-in-the-Hong-Kong-polic-1973 — Page 93

b

CONFIDENTIAL

315

Flag A

300

Flag B

зise

Mr Youdé

Youge 1.5.

1.5. 10 /M

Private Secretary

Mi Royle

Reyle

approved.

معا

feen

امسه

Aura Comert

LETTER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FROM MR TOM PENDRY MP

1.

6111.

Mr Tom Pendry MP, Opposition Whip, has written to the

Secretary of State to ask what action he is taking about

Mr Godber and the amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Act.

The Secretary of State discussed this with Mr Pendry on

6 September. A record of the talk is attached.

2. Mr Royle has discussed possible changes in the Fugitive

Offenders Act with the Law Officers and the Whips. We have

also consulted the Home Office. They unanimously consider

that we cannot change the law retrospectively to catch

Mr Godber. We are, however, taking up with the Home Office

the possibility of a non-retrospective change in the law on

general grounds. There is a respectable case for this, but

neither the Home Office nor the Law Officers are encouraging.

The question may have to go to Ministers.

3. When we told the Governor that we could not return

Mr Godber he asked that we should not announce this publicly

until our consideration of the wider possibility of amending

the Act was complete. I think this is right.

4. When Mr Fendry talks of sending Scotland Yard officers

to Hong Kong he may well have in mind that they should go as

independent investigators. However, since he says they should

go to "help" he should approve of the setting up of the

LAST

REF.

300

A

R[F

323

CONFIDENTIAL

/independent