TNAG-0518-FCO40-613-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 13

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also opposed to Mr Varley's suggestion.

Mr Callaghan said he could

not commit his colleagues but he would do his best.

Legislative Council

h.

Sir Murray MacLehose explained that he had always been in favour of selecting Hembers of Legislative Council from a wider social background than had so far been the case. There had been a constant sifting process designed to identify possible leaders from the lutual Aid Committees and he thought he should be able to select two or three new people for Legislative Council next year.

To do

this he would need to enlarge the Legislative Council and he asked for Mr Callaghan's support in the Parliamentary procedures that would be necessary to make this possible. Mr Callaghan assented.

Capital Punishment

5. Sir Murray HacLehose said that on his return to llong Kong in January he would have to report that he had made representations to the secretary of State in favour of the retention of capital punish- ment. Nr Callaghan said that, in his judgment, Parliamentary opinion was still strongly anti-death penalty although there had been some reaction in favour of hanging terrorists following the McWhirter murder. He personally remained opposed to reintroducing the death penalty for terrorists because of the danger of making martyrs of them. Sir Murray MacLehose said that there was a general realisation in long Kong that political murders were a special category. Hong Kong. opinion, however, remained strongly in favour of capital punishment for murders committed in the course of robbery. The incidence of robbery had increased 60 times over the past 10 years. Nonetheless, he thought his decision to impose imprisonment for life for convicted murderers might well hold the situation for the present.

Meeting with the TUC

6.

Mr Callaghan enquired how the Governor's meeting with the TUC had gone.

Sir Hurray MacLehose said that it had been very worthwhile as bringing him into direct contact with trade union opinion on industrial relations in the Colony. Mr McNally said that the TUC members present had understood the difficulties created by the

E

/existence