5.—(1) An officer may determine, in the case of any particular partner, that the requirement to take part in an interview shall be deferred at the time that the requirement to take part in it arises or applies because an interview would not at that time –
(a)be of assistance to the partner concerned, or
(b)be appropriate in the circumstances.
(2) Where the officer determines in accordance with paragraph (1) that the requirement to take part in an interview shall be deferred, he shall also, when that determination is made, determine the time when the requirement to take part in an interview is to apply in the partner’s case.
(3) Where a requirement to take part in an interview has been deferred in accordance with paragraph (1), then until –
(a)a determination is made under regulation 4(1);
(b)the partner takes part in an interview, or
(c)a relevant decision has been made in accordance with regulation 9(3),
the partner shall be treated for the purposes of regulation 2 as having complied with that requirement.