TNAG-0681-FCO40-830-Review-of-death-sentences-passed-on-members-of-UK-armed-forc-1977 — Page 16

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Mr Stratton Stra

PS/Mr Tomlinson

HKK 388/5

ما

8 DEC

Tuker

MIA puse type

PS/ Lord Glowny-Porsang

& 5 DEC 1977

HONG KONG: MP'S LETTER: MR ARTHUR BLENKINSOP MR

1.

Mr Blenkinsop (Labour

South Shields) wrote to the

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the Army, Mr Bob Brown, on 8 November about Gunner Puttock, who is currently serving a life sentence in Hong Kong for murder. Mr Brown replied that the case was for the FCO and that he was passing the

correspondence to Mr Tomlinson for a substantive reply.

2. Gunner Puttock, together with a Trooper Bassett, was originally

sentenced to death but this sentence was commuted by the Governor of Hong Kong to life imprisonment. The Hong Kong Government have recently asked if, under the Colonial Prisoners' Removal Act 1884, the two prisoners can be moved to the United Kingdom to serve

their sentences. The Secretary of State has signed removal orders

for both prisoners and these have been forwarded to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Government have now to make arrangements for the prisoners' transfer and have been asked to inform us of details of

their arrival.

3. I submit a draft reply to Mr Blenkinsop.

The

2 December 1977

A.B. Steenk

J A B Stewart

Hong Kong & General Dept

X.J. Stratton

5 Dec.