ABSTRACT

The Franks Committee looked at inquiries. The Committee stressed the importance of ensuring openness, fairness and impartiality and emphasised the importance of the following matters to achieve the above aims: • the individual should, in good time before the inquiry, be given full

particulars of the case they have to meet; • since the final decision will usually be made by a minister, it is not

sufficient for the individual simply to be informed of a local authority’s reasons and policies. Fair play requires that, whenever possible, some statement of the ministerial or department policy relevant to the particular case should also be made available to the inquiry;

• the inquiries should not be simply into objections to proposals. An objection cannot properly be considered or developed in isolation from the proposal or decision objected to. They should be conducted in accordance with published statutory codes of procedure, and the aim is that the inquiry should be simple and inexpensive, yet orderly.20