The Merchant Shipping (Light Dues) Regulations 1997

PART IV DESCRIPTION OF VESSELS EXEMPT FROM LIGHTS DUES

(1) Ships on charter to Her Majesty or used by a Government department or a foreign Government other than for commercial purposes;

(2) Ships of less than 20 tons, other than ships liable to pay light dues by reference to their length;

(3) Sailing ships used exclusively for sail training purposes, operating as travelling museums or vessels of historical interest;

(4) Tugs and fishing vessels of less than 10 metres in length;

(5) Ships (other than those subject to periodical payments) when navigating wholly and bona fide in ballast and not engaged in any other revenue earning, commercial, or passenger carrying activity or service;

(6) Ships putting in solely for bunkers, stores, crew changes, embarkation or disembarkation of pilots, a medical emergency, or for provisions for their own use on board, unless they are otherwise engaged in any revenue earning or commercial activity or service;

(7) Ships putting in from stress of weather or because of damage or on voyages solely for the purpose of damage or running repairs, where they are not otherwise engaged in a revenue earning or commercial activity or service, provided they do not discharge or load cargo other than cargo discharged with a view to such repairs, and afterwards reshipped;

(8) Ships navigating solely and entirely within the limits of a harbour authority; except in the outer areas of the Port of London Authority and the Forth Port Authority where aids to navigation are maintained by the General Lighthouse Authorities;

(9) Any ship (including a pleasure vessel) in respect of any year during the whole of which it is laid up; and in the case of any ship which has opted to pay in two payments as provided for in paragraph 1(1)(b) of the scale, this exemption shall apply in respect of any period covered by such option, during the whole of which it is laid up.

(10) Vessels involved in land defences and/or land reclamation on behalf of a statutory or harbour authority;

(11) Vessels solely engaged in pollution control prevention or recovery on behalf of a statutory authority;

(12) Vessels engaged solely in the transportation of sewerage waste to spoil grounds by or on behalf of a statutory authority;

(13) Vessels putting in or departing in ballast for the purpose of modification, alteration, scrapping or departing as new buildings from a shipyard, not otherwise engaged in any other revenue earning or commercial activity or service;

(14) Dumb barges, lighters, hulks, or other vessels being towed which are specifically designed and built without a means of propulsion.