Sec. 1.323  Interrogatories to parties.

    (a) Interrogatories. Any party may serve upon any other party 
written interrogatories to be answered in writing by the party served 
or, if the party served is a public or private corporation or a 
partnership or association, by any officer or agent, who shall furnish 
such information as is available to the party. A copy of the 
interrogatories shall be served upon all parties to the proceeding. An 
original and three copies of the interrogatories, answers, and all 
related pleadings shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission. A 
copy of the interrogatories, answers

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and all related pleadings shall be served on the presiding officer.
    (1) Except as otherwise provided in a protective order, the number 
of interrogatories or sets of interrogatories is not limited.
    (2) Except as provided in such an order, interrogatories may be 
served after a deposition has been taken, and a deposition may be sought 
after interrogatories have been answered.
    (b) Answers and objections. Each interrogatory shall be answered 
separately and fully in writing under oath or affirmation, unless it is 
objected to, in which event the reasons for objection shall be stated in 
lieu of an answer. The answers shall be signed by the person making 
them, and the objections by the attorney making them. The party upon 
whom the interrogatories were served shall serve a copy of the answers 
and objections upon all parties to the proceeding within 14 days after 
service of the interrogatories, or within such shorter or longer period 
as the presiding officer may allow. Answers may be used in the same 
manner as depositions of a party (see Sec. 1.321(d)).
    (c) Motion to compel an answer. Any party to the proceeding may, 
within 7 days, move for an order with respect to any objection or other 
failure to answer an interrogatory. For purposes of this paragraph, an 
evasive or incomplete answer is a failure to answer; and if the motion 
is based on the assertion that the answer is evasive or incomplete, it 
shall contain a statement as to the scope and detail of an answer which 
would be considered responsive and complete. The party upon whom the 
interrogatories were served may file a response within 7 days after the 
motion is filed, to which he may append an answer or an amended answer. 
Additional pleadings should not be submitted and will not be considered.
    (d) Action by the presiding officer. If the presiding officer 
determines that an objection is not justified, he shall order that the 
answer be served. If an interrogatory has not been answered, the 
presiding officer may rule that the right to object has been waived and 
may order that an answer be served. If an answer does not comply fully 
with the requirements of this section, the presiding officer may order 
that an amended answer be served, may specify the scope and detail of 
the matters to be covered by the amended answer, and may specify any 
appropriate procedural consequences (including adverse findings of fact 
and dismissal with prejudice) which will follow from the failure to make 
a full and responsive answer. If a full and responsive answer is not 
made, the presiding officer may issue an order invoking any of the 
procedural consequences specified in the order to compel an answer.
    (e) Appeal. As order to compel an answer is not subject to appeal.
[ 33 FR 10572 , July 25, 1968, as amended at  35 FR 17334 , Nov. 11, 1970]