Action by the Panel
Acknowledgement of receipt of application
6. When an application has been received by the Panel–
(a)the tenant shall be sent an acknowledgement of its receipt;
(b)particulars of it shall be entered in a register of cases and the tenant informed in writing of the case number allocated to it and of the address to which notices and other communications to the Panel must be delivered;
(c)the tenant shall be informed in writing that a decision will ordinarily be made within 14 days of the Panel’s receipt of the application as to whether the application is to be referred immediately to the Committee, or rejected, or deferred to allow the parties to attempt to resolve the dispute; and
(d)where such a decision cannot be made within 14 days because the president considers that further information is required, the tenant shall be informed of that and given a date by which time a decision may be made.
Resolution by the parties
7. The Panel Secretary must bring to the attention of the parties the availability of mediation as an alternative procedure for the resolution of the dispute and explain and, if the parties consent to mediation, facilitate that mediation.