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(a) Availability; procedures for use. Subject to the provisions of § 1114.21(b)(2), any party may serve upon any other party written interrogatories to be answered by the party served, or if the party served is a public or private corporation, partnership, association, or Governmental agency (other than this Board, except in those instances where the Board itself is a party to the proceeding), by any officer or agent, who shall furnish such information as is available to the party. Each interrogatory should be answered separately and fully in writing, unless it is objected to, in which event the reasons for objection should be stated in lieu of an answer. The answers are to be signed by the person making them and subscribed by an appropriate verification generally in the form prescribed in § 1112.9. Objections are to be signed by the representative or counsel making them. The person upon whom the interrogatories have been served shall serve a copy of the answers and objections within the time period designated by the party submitting the interrogatories, but not less than 15 days after the service thereof.

(b) Option to produce business records. Where the answer to an interrogatory may be derived or ascertained from the business records of the party upon whom the interrogatory has been served or from an examination, audit, or inspection of such business records or from a compilation, abstract, or summary based thereon, and the burden of deriving or ascertaining the answer is substantially the same for the party serving the interrogatory as for the party served, it is a sufficient answer to such interrogatory to specify the records from which the answer may be derived or ascertained and to afford to the party serving the interrogatory reasonable opportunity to examine, audit, or inspect such records and to make copies thereof, or compilation, abstracts, or summaries therefrom. If information sought is contained in computer runs, punchcards, or tapes which also contain privileged or proprietary information or information the disclosure of which is proscribed by the act, it will be sufficient response under these rules that the person upon whom the interrogatory has been served is willing to make available to and permit an independent professional organization not interested in the proceeding and paid by the party serving the interrogatory to extract from such runs, punchcards, or tapes the information sought in the interrogatory that is not privileged or proprietary information or information the disclosure of which is proscribed by the act.