9.—(1) Where an appeal is made to an appeal tribunal, the clerk to the appeal tribunal shall direct every party to the proceedings to notify the clerk to the appeal tribunal in writing whether he wishes to have an oral hearing of the appeal or whether he is content for the appeal to proceed without an oral hearing.
(2) A notification given in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be sent to the clerk to the appeal tribunal within 14 days of the date of issue of the direction under that paragraph or within such longer period as the clerk to the appeal tribunal may direct.
(3) Where a party to the proceedings notifies the clerk to the appeal tribunal in accordance with paragraph (2) that he wishes to have an oral hearing of the appeal, the appeal tribunal shall hold an oral hearing.
(4) The chairman or, in the case of an appeal tribunal which has only one member, that member, may of his own motion direct that an oral hearing of the appeal be held if he is satisfied that such a hearing is necessary to enable the appeal tribunal to reach a decision.