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Hong Kong.
Mrs Thatcher was lobbied on the issue during her
recent visit and, according to press reports, said that she believed that death sentences should not be automatically commuted but
each should be considered on its merits.
6. The prerogative of mercy retained by The Queen is a continuing one in the case of dependent territories where the death penalty still exists, notwithstanding the operation of the Creech Jones formula. The effect of Mr Callaghan's minute would seem to
indicate a ministerial decision to depart from this formula. The options set out in Mr Rowlands' minute to the Secretary of State on 2 July 1975, although still open to us, are no longer subject to the same considerations that were given at that time (see
ii. paragraph 9(⇓) below).
7. It is a firm policy of the British Government to help to independence all the remaining dependent territories.
There are, of course, problems, in some cases insuperable, in the application of this policy (Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Belize, The Falkland).
On the other hand some of the remaining dependencies are reluctant for their own good, and sometimes selfish reasons, to proceed to independence although they should be able to do so. In these cases the local governments should realize that to remain a dependency implies certain disadvantages in addition to the very palpable benefits which they gain from this continuing situation. As for those dependencies which cannot be given independence, for reasons outside their own control, they too should be brought to realize that the links with the parent country must necessarily entail some disadvantages and that one that they should hence- forth have to accept is that death sentences will not be condoned by the British Government.
Theoretical Possibilities
8.
If Ministers agree that the death penalty should no longer be imposed in dependent territories, it is necessary to consider
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