12.—(1) The appointed person may make an unaccompanied inspection of any premises used or formerly used by the library authority as a public library and referred to in any statement of case served under rule 5 before or during an inquiry without giving notice of his intention to the persons entitled to appear at the inquiry.
(2) The appointed person may, during an inquiry or after its close, inspect any premises referred to in paragraph (1) in the company of the Secretary of State and the library authority; and he shall make such an inspection if so requested by the Secretary of State or the library authority before or during an inquiry.
(3) In all cases where the appointed person intends to make an inspection of the kind referred to in paragraph (2) he shall announce during the inquiry the date and time at which he proposes to make it.
(4) The appointed person shall not be bound to defer an inspection of the kind referred to in paragraph (2) where any person mentioned in that paragraph is not present at the time appointed.