In any provision in these Regulations requiring the Secretary of State to issue an authorisation within a set time, the clock does not start until the Secretary of State has checked that the application dossier is in accordance with these Regulations and has validated the application.

The clock is stopped during any period that the Secretary of State requires an applicant to provide further data until all the further data required have been provided.

The clock is also stopped during any period that the applicant is given to provide oral or written explanations.

The Secretary of State may stop the clock pending payment of outstanding fees.