Preliminary issues
31.—(1) At any time and on the application of a party or of his own motion, the adjudicator may dispose of any matter or matters that are in dispute as a preliminary issue.
(2) If in the opinion of the adjudicator the decision on the preliminary issue will dispose of the whole of the matter then the decision on the preliminary issue must be—
(a)made in accordance with the provisions in these Rules on substantive decisions; and
(b)treated as a substantive decision.