Appeals by administering authorities
104.—(1) Where–
(a)a Scheme employer has decided or failed to decide any question falling to be decided by that employer under regulation 96 (otherwise than in the exercise of a discretion); and
(b)the Scheme employer is not an administering authority,
the administering authority maintaining the pension fund to which the Scheme employer pays contributions may appeal to the Secretary of State to decide that question.
(2) Such an appeal must be made by notice in writing given before the end of the period of six months beginning with the relevant date or such further period as the Secretary of State considers reasonable.
(3) Where the appeal relates to a decision notified under regulation 97(1), the relevant date is the date of the notification of that decision.
(4) Where the appeal relates to a failure to decide any question, the relevant date is the date of that failure.
(5) For paragraph (4) an employer is to be taken to have failed to decide a question at the expiry of the period of three months beginning with the date on which the administering authority have requested a decision by notice in writing.
(6) Where an appeal has been made under paragraph (1), the period within which an application may be made under regulation 99 may not be extended under regulation 99(8).
(7) The Secretary of State must issue his decision on the appeal by notice in writing to the appellant authority and to any other persons appearing to him to be affected by it.
(8) Where an appeal is made by an authority under this regulation and any other person–
(a)has made an application under regulation 99 or regulation 101 which has not been determined in respect of any of the matters which are the subject of the appeal; or
(b)makes such an application contemporaneously with the appeal or after it and before the appeal is determined,
the appeal shall be sisted pending notification of a decision under regulation 100 or, as the case may be, regulation 101 or until the application is withdrawn.