Merchant Shipping Act 1894

Local Marine Boards.

244 Continuance and constitution of local marine board.

(1) There shall be local marine boards for carrying into effect this Act under the superintendence of the Board of Trade at those ports of the United Kingdom at which local marine boards are now established and at such other places as the Board of Trade appoint for the purpose.

(2) Every local marine board shall be constituted in manner specified in the Seventh Schedule to this Act, and the regulations in that schedule shall apply to the board and elections thereof.

(3) A local marine board may regulate the mode in which their meetings are to be held and their business is to be conducted, including the fixing of a quorum, not being less than three.

(4) A local marine board shall keep minutes of their proceedings in the manner (if any) prescribed by the Board of Trade.

(5) Any act or proceedings of a local marine board shall not be vitiated or prejudiced by reason of any irregularity in the election of any of the members, or of any error in the list of voters entitled to vote at the election, or of any irregularity in making or revising the list, or by reason of any person not duly qualified acting on the board, or of any vacancy in the board.

245 Control of Board of Trade over local marine boards.

(1) Every local marine board shall make and send to the Board of Trade such reports and returns as the Board of Trade require; and all minutes, books, and documents of, or used or kept by, any local marine board, or by any superintendent, or by any examiner or other officer or servant under the control of any local marine board, shall be open to the inspection of the Board of Trade and their officers.

(2) If any local marine board, by reason of any election not being held or of the simultaneous resignation or continued non-attendance of all or the greater part of the members, or from any other cause, fail to meet or to discharge their duties, the Board of Trade may, in their discretion, either take into their own hands the performance of the duties of the local marine board until the next triennial appointment and election thereof, or direct that a new appointment and election of the local marine board shall take place immediately.

(3) If on complaint made to the Board of Trade it appears to them that at any port, any appointments or arrangements made by the local marine board under this Act are not such as to meet the wants of the port, or are in any respect unsatisfactory or improper, the Board of Trade may annul, alter, or rectify the same, as they think expedient, having regard to the intention of this Act and to the wants of the port.