§ 25. Mr. Hastingsasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to find out how many cases there have been over the last 10 years in territories under British colonial administration, of executions having taken place one year or more after the accused had been condemned to death.
§ Mr. WhitlockMy right hon. Friend is asking the authorities in the Dependent Territories for which he is responsible to provide this information.
§ Mr. HastingsIs it not possible that the answer may be rather inconvenient to Her Majesty's Government? Is the hon. Gentleman not aware that 18 men sentenced to death in Singapore were executed a year and seven months later, two years and three months after the commission of their offences? Was it not the exception rather than the rule under British colonial administration for a man to be hanged within a year of sentence? Does this situation not give the lie to the hysteria so sedulously cultivated by the Prime Minister in the recent debate on Rhodesia?
§ Mr. WhitlockWe have no information to the effect described by the hon. Gentleman. It has been the long-standing policy of successive Secretaries of State to take into consideration the length of time a prisoner has been under sentence of death when advising the Crown about a reprieve.
§ Mr. HastingsOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment.