TNAG-0721-FCO40-919-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 155

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Ministing of Itali

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Mr Murray PS/Mr Rowlands

Ma Stewart

Thank you.

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: SYLVESTER GASTON, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

1. In your minute of 27 January you said that Mr Rowlands had enquiried whether there was any way that we can tell Mr Wallace that he would have our full support if he stands out against his local Prerogative of Mercy Committee.

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2. In fact, Mr Wallace has already been told enough about our policies to have been left in no doubt on this point. In my letter of 24 November I said that the Secretary of State was unable to intervene in the Bermuda executions but that Ministers had agreed on the desirability of a change in the present policy. I followed this up with a further letter on 6 December informing him of the Secretary of State's determination that Gaston should not hang and suggested that it would be best if this result could be made to appear a local decision. Finally, I wrote again to the Governor on 27 January bringing him up to date on recent developments and reiterating Ministers' determination to

avoid further executions.

3. Mr Wallace has not commented directly on this correspondence:

have but as you willeen, not only is he aware that he will have our support if he decides to commute, he also knows that we positively want him to do so. Short of giving him an outright directive, which would probably be resented by him, there is no more we could, or should, do.

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JAB Stewart

Hong Kong & General Department

CONFIDENTIAL