Merchant Shipping Act 1979

1 Constitution of Commission

(1) There shall be a body corporate, to be called the Pilotage Commission (and hereafter in this Act referred to as " the Commission "), which shall be constituted in accordance with the following provisions of this section.

(2) The Commission shall consist of not less than ten and not more than fifteen persons appointed by the Secretary of State from among the following, namely—

(a) licensed pilots;

(b) persons appearing to the Secretary of State to have wide practical experience of the management of ships ;

(c) persons appearing to the Secretary of State to have wide practical experience of the administration of pilotage services;

(d) persons appearing to the Secretary of State to have wide practical experience of the management of docks or harbours;

(e) other persons appearing to the Secretary of State to have special knowledge or experience likely to be of value to the Commission in connection with the performance of its functions ;

and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to appoint as members of the Commission at least one person from each of the categories of persons mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d) of this subsection and to appoint one member to be the chairman of the Commission.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State—

(a) before appointing as a member a person in any category of persons which is mentioned in paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (2) of this section, to consult on the appointment such persons as the Secretary of State considers are representative of the persons in the United Kingdom in the category in question;

(b) before appointing as a member a person in the category of persons which is mentioned in paragraph (e) of that subsection, to consult on the appointment—

(i) such persons as the Secretary of State considers are representative of the persons in the United Kingdom in all the categories of persons mentioned in the said paragraphs (a) to (d), and

(ii) such other persons, if any, as he considers appropriate;

(c) before appointing a member to be the chairman of the Commission, to consult on the appointment such persons as the Secretary of State considers are representative of the persons in the United Kingdom in all the categories of persons mentioned in the said paragraphs (a) to (d).

(4) The provisions of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Commission.

(5) It is hereby declared that the Commission is not to be regarded as the servant or agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, privilege or immunity of the Crown or as exempt from any tax, duty, rate, levy or other charge whatsoever, whether general or local, and that its property is not to be regarded as property of or held on behalf of the Crown.

(6) In Part II of Schedule 1 to the [1975 c. 24.] House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975, after the entry relating to the Performing Right Tribunal there shall be inserted the words " The Pilotage Commission " ; and in Part II of Schedule 1 to the [1975 c. 25.] Northern Ireland Assembly Disqualification Act 1975, after the entry relating to the said Tribunal there shall be inserted the words aforesaid.