Merchant Shipping Act 1894

Expenses of General Lighthouse Authorities.

658 Payment of lighthouse expenses out of Mercantile Marine Fund.

The expenses incurred by the general lighthouse authorities in the works and services of lighthouses, buoys, and beacons under this Part of this Act, or in the execution of any works necessary or expedient for the purpose of permanently reducing the expense of those works and services, shall be paid out of the Mercantile Marine Fund.

659 Establishments of general lighthouse authorities.

(1) Her Majesty may by Order in Council fix the establishments to. be maintained by each of the general lighthouse authorities on account of the services of lighthouses, buoys, and beacons, or the annual or other sums to be paid out of the Mercantile Marine Fund in respect of those establishments.

(2) If it appears that any part of the establishments of the general lighthouse authorities is maintained for other purposes as well as for the purposes of their duties as general lighthouse authorities, Her Majesty may by Order in Council fix the portion of the expense of those establishments to be paid out of the Mercantile Marine Fund.

(3) An increase of any establishment or part of an establishment fixed under this section shall not be made without the consent of the Board of Trade.

660 Estimates or accounts of expenses sent to Board of Trade.

(1) An expense of a general lighthouse authority in respect of the services of lighthouses, buoys, and beacons shall not be paid out of the Mercantile Marine Fund, or allowed in account, unless either it has been allowed ns part of the establishment expenses under this Act, or an estimate or account thereof has been approved by the Board of Trade.

(2) For the purpose of approval by the Board of Trade, each of the general lighthouse authorities shall submit to that Board an estimate of all expenses to be incurred by them in respect of lighthouses, buoys, or beacons, other than expenses allowed under this Act on account of their establishments, or, in case it is necessary in providing for any sudden emergency to incur any such expense without waiting for the sanction of an estimate, shall as soon as possible submit to the Board of Trade a full account of the expense incurred.

(3) The Board of Trade shall consider any estimates and accounts so submitted to them, and may approve them either with or without modification.

661 Advances by Treasury for lighthouse expenses.

(1) For the purpose of the construction and repair of lighthouses, and of other extraordinary expenses connected with lighthouses, buoys, and beacons, the Treasury may, upon the application of the Board of Trade, advance out of the growing produce of the Consolidated Fund such sums, and upon such terms and at such rate of interest, as they think fit, and pay the same into the Mercantile Marine Fund, but the total amount due in respect of any such advances shall not at any one time exceed two hundred thousand pounds.

(2) Where the Treasury advance any sum under this section, that sum and the interest thereon shall be a charge upon the Mercantile Marine Fund, and upon any dues, rates, fees, or other payments payable thereto, and the Board of Trade shall make such provision for the repayment thereof out of that fund either by way of sinking fund or otherwise as the Treasury require.

(3) A charge under this section for the purpose of an advance by the Treasury shall not prevent the reduction of any dues, rates, fees, or other payments payable to the Mercantile Marine Fund, if the reduction is sanctioned by the Treasury.

662 Mortgage of Mercantile Marine Fund for lighthouse expenditure.

(1) The Board of Trade may mortgage the Mercantile Marine Fund and any dues, rates, fees, or other payments payable thereto, or any part thereof, for the purpose of the construction and repair of lighthouses or other extraordinary expenses connected with the services of lighthouses, buoys, and beacons.

(2) Any mortgage under this section shall be made in such form and executed in such manner as the Board of Trade may direct.

(3) A person lending money on a mortgage under this section shall not be bound to inquire as to the purpose for which the money is raised or the manner in which it is applied.

663 Advances by Public Works Loan Commissioners.

(1) The Public Works Loan Commissioners may, for the purpose of the construction and repair of lighthouses or other extraordinary expenses connected with the service of lighthouses, buoys, and beacons, advance money upon mortgage of the Mercantile Marine Fund, and the several dues, rates, fees, and payments to be carried thereto under this Act, or any of them, or any part thereof, without requiring any further security than that mortgage.

(2) Notwithstanding anything in this Act, every mortgage so made to the Public Works Loan Commissioners shall be made in accordance with the Acts regulating loans by the Public Works Loan Commissioners.

(3) An advance by the Public Works Loan Commissioners shall not prevent any lawful reduction of any dues, rates, fees, or other payments payable to the Mercantile Marine Fund if that reduction is assented to by the Public Works Loan Commissioners.

664 Accounts of general lighthouse authorities.

Each of the general lighthouse authorities shall account to-the Board of Trade for their receipts from light dues and for their expenditure in respect of expenses paid out of the Mercantile Marine Fund, in such form, and at such times, and with such details, explanations, and vouchers, as the Board of Trade require, and shall, when required by that Board, permit all books of accounts kept by or under their respective direction to be inspected and examined by such persons as that Board appoint for that purpose.

665 Power to grant pensions.

(1) A general lighthouse authority may, with the sanction of the Board of Trade, grant superannuation allowances or compensation to persons whose salaries are paid out of the Mercantile; Marine Fund on their discharge or retirement.

(2) No superannuation allowance or compensation granted under this section to a person shall exceed the proportion of his salary which may be granted to a person in the public civil service under the Acts relating to superannuation allowances or compensation for the time being in force.