Provided that if the nature of the petition or communication requires further enquiry or investigation to be made and, for this or other adequate reasons, the officer receiving the petition or communication is unable within seven days to submit his comments or recommendations, he shall state in a covering memorandum that these will follow and the reasons for the delay.

(2) The officer receiving a petition or communication for onward transmission shall, on receipt, cause an acknowledgement to be sent without delay direct to the petitioner or writer stating that it has been received and is under consideration.

(3) All official correspondence between Government offices and other communications addressed to an officer by a member of the public shall be acknowledged on receipt, unless it is clear that the communication will form the subject of a final or interim reply at once. When it is apparent that a final reply is likely to take undue time, an interim reply shall be sent instead of or in addition to an acknowledgement receipt.