§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those areas of executive action where he has discretion to act in respect of an individual without giving reasons for his decision. [20536]
§ Sir John WheelerIn the absence of express statutory requirement within the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments, there is no general duty to give reasons for administrative decisions. However, as a matter of good administrative practice, including compliance with the code of practice on access to Government information, coupled with the fact that a failure to give reasons may provide grounds on which a decision may be challenged by judicial review, reasons are given where it is appropriate to do so.