Merchant Shipping Act 1979

8 (1) In section 23(1) (which provides for the grant of pilotage certificates to masters and mates of ships except in the cases mentioned in the proviso)—

(a) before the word " mate " wherever it occurs there shall be inserted the word " first ";

(b) in paragraph (a) of the proviso (which prohibits the grant of a pilotage certificate to a person who is not a British subject except in special cases) for the words " except in the cases for which special provision is made by this Act" there shall be substituted the words " or a national of a member State of the Economic Community other than the United Kingdom and the ship is registered under the law of a member State of the Economic Community "; and

(c) after paragraph (b) of the proviso there shall be inserted the words ; and

(c) In any district where a byelaw is in force prohibiting the grant of a pilotage certificate in respect of a vessel of a description specified in the byelaws, the pilotage authority shall not grant a certificate in respect of such a vessel ;

but nothing in paragraph (b) of this sub-paragraph affects the validity or prevents the renewal of any pilotage certificate which, immediately before the day when that paragraph comes into force, is in force in respect of a ship which is not registered under the law of a member State of the Economic Community.

(2) In section 23(3) (which provides that a pilotage certificate shall not be in force for more than one year but may be renewed annually) after the word " may " there shall be inserted the words " if held by the master or first mate of a ship ".

(3) In section 23(4) and (5) (which refer to pilotage certificates for masters and mates and for more than one ship of substantially the same class) before the word " mate " wherever it occurs there shall be inserted the word " first " and after the word " class " there shall be inserted the words " and registered as mentioned in paragraph (a) in subsection (1) of this section. ".