17.—(1) Where an appeal, for which a hearing has been held, is remitted by any court to the Secretary of State for rehearing and redetermination, the Secretary of State—
(a)shall send to the persons entitled to appear at the hearing who appeared at it a written statement of the matters on which further representations are invited in order for him to consider the appeal further;
(b)shall give those persons the opportunity to make written representations to him on those matters or to ask for the re-opening of the hearing; and
(c)may, as he thinks fit, cause the hearing to be re-opened or an inquiry held instead (whether by the same or a different inspector) and if he re-opens the hearing paragraphs (2) to (6) of rule 6 shall apply as if the reference to a hearing were to a re-opened hearing.
(2) Those persons making representations or asking for the hearing to be re-opened under paragraph (1)(b) shall send such representations or requests to the Secretary of State within 3 weeks of the date of the written statement sent under paragraph (1)(a).