Merchant Shipping Act 1995

Lighthouse authorities

193 General and local lighthouse authorities

(1) For the purposes of this Part—

(a) the Trinity House, as respects England and Wales and the adjacent seas and islands,

(b) the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, as respects Scotland and the adjacent seas and islands, and

(c) the Commissioners of Irish Lights, as respects Northern Ireland and the adjacent seas and islands,

are the general lighthouse authority.

(2) For the purposes of this Part—

(a) each harbour authority, as respects their area, and

(b) any other existing local lighthouse authority, as respects their area,

are the local lighthouse authority.

(3) Schedule 8 shall have effect as respects the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses.

(4) In this Part “area” means—

(a) in relation to a general lighthouse authority specified in subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) above, the area specified in that paragraph as the area of that authority;

(b) in relation to a harbour authority, the area or areas inside the limits within which the authority’s statutory powers and duties as a harbour authority are exercisable; and

(c) in relation to any other existing local lighthouse authority, the existing area over which their authority extends in relation to lighthouses, buoys and beacons;

and for the purposes of subsection (2)(b) above and paragraph (c) above “existing” means existing for the purposes of the 1894 Act immediately before the repeal of that Act by this Act.

(5) Subject to paragraph 9(1) of Schedule 14, the Trinity House are also the general lighthouse authority as respects Gibraltar and, subject to sub-paragraph (2) of that paragraph, the Channel Islands; and the Commissioners of Northern Lights are also the general lighthouse authority as respects the Isle of Man, and the seas adjacent to those territories.