28.—(1) A request under section 17(1)(a) for a preliminary examination and search shall be made on Patents Form 9/77.
(2) On a preliminary examination the examiner shall determine, not only whether the application (“the application in suit”) complies with those requirements of the Act and these Rules which are designated by rule 31 as formal requirements for the purposes of the Act, but also whether the requirements of rules 6(1) and (2) and 15(1) and the provisions of section 15(3) have been complied with.
(3) The comptroller may, if he thinks fit, send to the applicant a copy of any document (or any part thereof) referred to in the examiner’s report under section 17(5).