If prescribed proceedings have not been commenced in relation to an amount of money held by the Secretary within the period prescribed by or under section 16H (4) or (5)-
(a) a lessor or a lessee may, at any time before a payment is made in accordance with an application made by the lessor or lessee, withdraw the application, and
(b) for the purposes of this section, the application is thereupon taken never to have been made.