18.—(1) Where a person has exhausted the procedure established under regulation 17(1) in respect of any complaint made under regulation 17(2) or where the public sector body has failed to deal with a complaint made under regulation 17(2) within a reasonable time, the person may refer that complaint to the Office of Public Sector Information.
(2) Any complaint referred to the Office of Public Sector Information shall—
(a)be in writing;
(b)state the nature of the complaint; and
(c)include a copy of the written notification under regulation 17(3) where one exists.
(3) Where a body specified in paragraph (4) is the subject of a complaint under regulation 17(2) and a person has exhausted the procedure established under regulation 17(1) in respect of that complaint, or where the specified body has failed to deal with a complaint made under regulation 17(2) within a reasonable time, the person may refer that complaint to the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information.
(4) The bodies specified for the purpose of paragraph (3) are:
(a)the Office of Public Sector Information;
(b)Her Majesty’s Stationery Office; and
(c)the Office of the Queen’s Printer for Scotland.
(5) Where paragraph (3) applies a person shall comply with paragraph (2) as if the reference to the Office of Public Sector Information were a reference to the Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information.