Merchant Shipping Act 1995

205 Light dues leviable by general lighthouse authorities

(1) This section applies to dues leviable by a general lighthouse authority in respect of lighthouses, buoys or beacons under their management (in this Part called “general light dues”).

(2) A general lighthouse authority may demand, take and recover general light dues in accordance with this section and for that purpose appoint persons to collect them.

(3) General light dues shall be levied only by reference to the voyages made by ships or by way of periodical payments.

(4) General light dues shall be payable in respect of all ships whatever, except—

(a) ships belonging to Her Majesty, and

(b) ships exempted from payment in pursuance of subsection (5) below.

(5) The Secretary of State may make regulations with respect to the amounts and the levying of general light dues (including the cases in which the dues are not to be levied) and the regulations may make different provision for different circumstances.

(6) A copy of the regulations in force under subsection (5) above in respect of general light dues shall be kept at—

(a) the principal office of the general lighthouse authority, and

(b) the office of the appointed collector at every port where such dues are collected;

and shall be open for inspection there during reasonable hours by any person without charge.

(7) Every person appointed by a general lighthouse authority to collect general light dues shall collect all such dues payable at the port at which he is so appointed or (as the case may be) such of those dues as he is appointed to collect, whether they are collected on account of that authority or on account of one of the other general lighthouse authorities.

(8) Any person appointed by a general lighthouse authority to collect general light dues shall pay over to that authority, or as that authority directs, the whole of the general light dues received by him.

(9) A general lighthouse authority receiving dues (whether themselves or from a collector) shall keep accounts of the dues and shall cause the dues to be remitted to Her Majesty’s Paymaster-General in such manner as the Secretary of State directs.