Merchant Shipping Act 1995

211 General Lighthouse Fund: expenses and receipts

(1) There shall continue to be a fund called the General Lighthouse Fund administered by the Secretary of State.

(2) The following shall be paid out of that Fund—

(a) any expenses incurred by general lighthouse authorities in connection with the discharge of their functions under this Part and, in the case of the Commissioners of Irish Lights as respects their functions in the Republic of Ireland, under the corresponding Part of the 1894 Act, subject, however, to section 213;

(b) any expenses (whether of a capital nature or not) incurred by the Secretary of State in pursuance of any international agreement relating to the provision of an electronic position-fixing system intended as an aid to the navigation of ships or incurred by him preliminary to his entering into such an agreement;

(c) such sums as the Secretary of State may determine as sums appearing to him to represent the amount or estimated amount of any expenses incurred or likely to be incurred by him in connection with the administration of the Fund;

(d) any expenses incurred by the Secretary of State in maintaining the Sombrero lighthouse in the Leeward Islands;

(e) any other sums made payable out of the Fund by any other provision of this Part or Part IX.

(3) The following shall be paid into that Fund—

(a) all general light dues and other sums received by or accruing to any of the general lighthouse authorities by virtue of, or in connection with the discharge of their functions under, this Part and, in the case of the Commissioners of Irish Lights as respects their functions in the Republic of Ireland, under the corresponding Part of the 1894 Act;

(b) any sums received by the Secretary of State in pursuance of any such agreement as is mentioned in subsection (2)(b) above in respect of—

(i) expenses incurred by him in pursuance of the agreement, or

(ii) expenses incurred by any of the general lighthouse authorities which, by virtue of subsection (2) above, are payable out of the Fund;

(c) any other sums made payable into the Fund by any other provision of this Part or Part IX.

(4) The accounts of the Fund for each year shall be examined by the Comptroller and Auditor General who shall send a copy of the accounts certified by him to the Secretary of State.

(5) The Secretary of State shall lay copies of the accounts before each House of Parliament.