Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
DRAFT LETTER
To:-
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
Miss Jenny Little International Secretary The Labour Party
Transport House
Smith Square
PRIVACY MARKING
LONDON SW1P 3JA
Type 1 +
From
SofS
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
DSR11
...........In Confidence
1. Thank you for your letter of 30 January regarding the resolution from the West Derbyshire Constituency Labour Party.
K
2. When capital punishment for murder was abolished in this country 1969, the Governments of our remaining Dependent Overseas Territories were invited to introduce
similar legislation in their own Territories. Seven of them have declined to do so. Hitherto, it has been
the policy of successive British Governments to leave
the decision on this question to the Governments of the Territories concerned. But as I said in answering questions following my statement to the House on
5 December about the Bermuda executions, the Government
are prepared to review the policy on Capital Punishment in the Dependent Territories if that is Parliament's
wish.
3.
I hope to bring the matter before the House shortly.
The position of Rhodesia and Bermuda are quite different. Bermuda introduced a new constitution in 1968,
which was amended in 1973. Bermuda has had an advanced
form of internal self-government and the British Government retain responsibility for defence, external
affairs, internal security and the police. British
troops were despatched to Bermuda at the request of the
Governor, who is responsible to the British Government for Internal Security. His request was made with the full support of the Bermuda Government.
Dd 108087 400M S&K 1/77
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