TNAG-0722-FCO40-920-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 16

Mr

CONFIDENTIAL

stration. Be type my 7/97

PS/Mr Rowlands

Rowland

ли

HKG.380/1

RECEIVED IN B

13 SEP 1978

DESK OFFICER INDEX

7/9 No

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES :

MP's LETTER : MR GEOFFREY EDGE MP

PA

274

Flag A

272

244)

1.

In his letter of 21 August Mr Geoffrey Edge MP (Labour: Aldridge, Brownhills) asks whether the Government intend to take

steps to abolish capital punishment in the Dependent Territories.

2. Mr Edge raised this subject with the Secretary of State in Flag B & his letter of 26 May. I then suggested (my submission of 12 June) Flag C

that Mr Rowlands might prefer to discuss the question orally with Mr Edge rather than explain the rather sensitive political back- ground in writing. Mr Rowlands agreed, and various attempts were made to arrange a meeting. However, this did not prove possible before the end of the last Parliamentary session: hence Mr Edge's

letter.

Flag D

626

Flag E

Flag

(270)

3. I submit a draft reply which is based on the Secretary of State's letter of 27 April to the International Secretary of the Labour Party, amended to take account of Dr Owen's comments on Ms Little's reply of 26 July (Lord Goronwy-Roberts passed these comments on to Ms Little in his letter of 15 August).

Ruinhum

See (277)

reply.

4 September 1978

Cc:

PS

PS/PUS

Sir A Duff

Mr Cortazzi

WIAD

R JT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department

R.J. Smetton

4 бук

CONFIDENTIAL