Merchant Shipping (Load Lines) Act 1967

18 Power to make exemption orders

(1) If in the opinion of the Board of Trade the sheltered nature and conditions of international voyages—

(a) between near neighbouring ports in the United Kingdom and in another Convention country, or

(b) between near neighbouring ports in any two or more countries or territories outside the United Kingdom,

make it unreasonable or impracticable to apply the provisions of this Act to ships plying on such voyages, and the Board are satisfied that the Government of the other country or territory (or, as the case may be, of each of the other countries or territories) concurs in that opinion, the Board may by order specifying those ports direct that ships plying on international voyages between those ports, or any class of such ships specified in the order, shall be exempt from the provisions of this Act.

(2) The Board of Trade may by order direct that ships under 80 tons register engaged solely in the coasting trade, or any class of such ships specified in the order, shall be exempt from the provisions of this Act while not carrying cargo, or (if the order so provides) shall be exempt from the provisions of this Act whether carrying cargo or not.

(3) Any order under this section may be made subject to such conditions as the Board of Trade think fit; and, where any such order is made subject to conditions, the exemption conferred by the order shall not have effect in relation to a ship unless the ship complies with those conditions.