15.—(1) At any stage of the proceedings the Panel may, either on its own cause or on the application of a party, make such direction as it considers necessary for the hearing of the appeal and in particular may direct–
(a)a party to provide any further particulars, supplementary statements or documents which may reasonably be required;
(b)a party which has access to information which is not reasonably available to the other party, to prepare and file a document recording the information;
(c)a party to set out the issues upon which the Panel requires to hear evidence;
(d)that evidence should be excluded if the evidence is irrelevant, unnecessary or improperly obtained;
(e)a party to lodge, before the hearing, an outline argument.
(2) An application by a party for a direction under paragraph (1) (otherwise than during a hearing) must, not later than 7 days before the hearing, be made to the Panel in writing and must set out the direction which the party is seeking to have made together with the reasons for the application.
(3) If a party objects to the direction sought, the Panel must consider the objection and, if it considers it necessary for deciding the application, must give the parties an opportunity of being present or represented before the Panel.
(4) For the purposes of this rule, a party is not obliged to produce a document which that party would be entitled to refuse to produce in civil proceedings before the Court of Session.
(5) In giving effect to this rule, the Panel must take into account the need to protect any matter that relates to intimate personal or financial circumstances, is commercially sensitive or consists of information communicated or obtained in confidence.