The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008

The response

21.—(1) When a respondent receives a copy of the application notice, the respondent must send or deliver to the Tribunal a response so that it is received—

(a) if a time for providing the response is specified in the Schedule to these Rules (time limits for providing application notices and responses), within that time;

(b) otherwise, within 21 days after the date on which the respondent received the application notice.

(2) The response must include—

(a) the name and address of the respondent;

(b) the name and address of the respondent’s representative (if any);

(c) an address where documents for the respondent may be sent or delivered;

(d) a statement as to whether the respondent opposes the applicant’s case and, if so, any grounds for such opposition which are not contained in another document provided with the response;

(e) in a special educational needs case, the views of the child about the issues raised by the proceedings, or the reason why the respondent has not ascertained those views; and

(f) any further information or documents required by an applicable practice direction or direction.

(3) The response may include a statement as to whether the respondent would be content for the case to be dealt with without a hearing if the Tribunal considers it appropriate.

(4) If the respondent provides the response to the Tribunal later than the time required by paragraph (1) or by any extension of time under rule 5(3)(a) (power to extend time), the response must include a request for an extension of time and the reason why the response was not provided in time.

(5) The respondent must send or deliver a copy of the response and any accompanying documents to each other party at the same time as it provides the response to the Tribunal.