31.—(1) Before the end of —
(a)15 working days beginning with the first working day after the documents have been supplied to the officer concerned under regulation 30(1), or
(b)where that period is extended by the person conducting or chairing the misconduct proceedings for exceptional circumstances, such extended period,
the officer concerned must comply with paragraphs (2) and (3).
(2) The officer concerned must give the appropriate authority—
(a)written notice of whether or not they accept that their conduct amounts to misconduct or gross misconduct, as the case may be;
(b)where they accept that their conduct amounts to misconduct or gross misconduct, as the case may be, any written submission they wish to make in mitigation, and
(c)where they do not accept that their conduct amounts to misconduct or gross misconduct, as the case may be, or they dispute part of the case against them, written notice of—
(i)the allegations they dispute and their account of the relevant events, and
(ii)any arguments on points of law they wish to be considered by the person or persons conducting the misconduct proceedings.
(3) The officer concerned must provide the appropriate authority with a copy of any document they intend to rely on at the misconduct proceedings.
(4) Before the end of 3 working days beginning with the first working day after the date on which the officer concerned has complied with paragraph (2), the appropriate authority or, as the case may be, the originating authority, and the officer concerned must each—
(a)supply to the other a list of proposed witnesses and include brief details of the evidence that each witness is able to adduce, or
(b)give notice to the other that they do not propose any witnesses.
(5) Where the Director General has made a decision under regulation 24(1) to present a case—
(a)the officer concerned must, within the time period specified in paragraph (1), provide the Director General with a copy of the documents specified in paragraphs (2) and (3), and
(b)the duty specified in paragraph (4) to supply a list of proposed witnesses or give notice that there are no proposed witnesses lies with the Director General, and not with the appropriate authority or the originating authority.