TNAG-0722-FCO40-920-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 8

2/10/27

HKG 380/1

UNCLASSIFIED

tka 3861

30 OCT 1978

RECS

Mr Murtray

PS/Mr Rowlands

be tuppe

3/10°

DESC Orbemit

INDEX

PA

No

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT IN THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES :

MP'S LETTER: MR GEOFFREY EDGE MP

30. 51

REGISTRY Action Taken

ве

279

Flag A

278

Flag B

Flag C

297

Flag D

G+4 Frag E

(16)

Flag F

(270

1.

In his letter of 21 September, Mr Geoffrey Edge MP (Labour Aldridge-Brownhills) asked whether the Government envisages a debate on Capital Punishment in the Dependent Territories during the coming session of Parliament.

2.

This letter is a follow up to Mr Edge's letter of 21 August to which Mr Rowlands replied on 12 September. The original draft reply to that earlier letter, which was submitted under cover of Mr McLaren's minute of 4 September, included a reference to the Secretary of State's comment of 31 July on a letter from the International Secretary of the Labour Party that the policy should be changed "when we have a clear majority in the House". (Lord Goronwy Roberts subsequently incorporated this in his reply to Ms Little of 15 August). Mr Rowlands preferred on that occa- sion to omit this reference. However, since Mr Edge is insisting

on an answer on the question of timing, there seems to be no altern- ative but to explain the position to him frankly.

3. I therefore recommend that the Minister should reply on the lines of the attached draft.

See

sa

(582) reply

29 September 1978

questi

added

The reply

مان مداد

፡፡

few words.

W.E. Quantill

W E Quantrill

Hong Kong and General Department

fine but didn't

unanswerable, I think.

answer te

I have

2/100