National Maritime Museum Act 1989

1 Transfer of land to the Trustees of the National Maritime Museum

(1) On the appointed day the land specified in Schedule 1 to the [1934 c. 43.] National Maritime Museum Act 1934 (“the 1934 Act”) shall by virtue of this subsection vest in the Trustees of the National Maritime Museum (“the Board”).

(2) Subsection (1) above shall not affect the application to that land of the Parks Regulation Acts 1872 to 1974.

(3) The Board—

(a) may make such alterations as may be necessary to adapt any buildings on that land for use for the purposes of the National Maritime Museum (“the Museum”);

(b) may for those purposes reconstruct any such buildings or demolish any such buildings and construct new buildings; and

(c) shall at all times maintain any buildings on that land in a proper condition for those purposes;

but nothing in this subsection shall be taken to authorise the demolition of the ancient monument consisting of the Queen’s House and the colonnades on the east and west sides of it.

(4) Subsection (3) above shall not be taken to exempt the Board from any provisions of the [1971 c. 78.] Town and Country Planning Act 1971, the [1979 c. 46.] Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 or any other enactment relating to the preservation of buildings or the execution of building work.

(5) If at any time the Lord President of the Council by order made by statutory instrument declares that the buildings on that land have ceased to be used for the purposes of the Museum, the land shall by virtue of this subsection vest in the Minister of the Crown at that time entrusted with responsibility for defence and shall be held by him in trust for Her Majesty for the benefit of Greenwich Hospital.

(6) The occupation of any land for the purposes of the Museum shall be treated for the purposes of the [1967 c. 9.] General Rate Act 1967 as if it were occupation by or on behalf of the Crown for public purposes.

(7) In this section “the appointed day” means the day appointed under section 3(3) below for the coming into force of subsection (1) above.

2 Functions of the Trustees

(1) For the purpose of exercising their functions under the governing enactments the Board may—

(a) enter into contracts and other agreements (including agreements for their occupation or management of land), and

(b) acquire and dispose of land and other property,

but this subsection is without prejudice to the powers of the Board under those enactments.

(2) The Board shall not acquire or dispose of land without the consent of the Lord President of the Council.

(3) If the Board are satisfied that to do so would not conflict unduly with their functions under the governing enactments they may allow premises owned, occupied or managed by them to be used by other persons (for payment or otherwise) for purposes not connected with those functions.

(4) In this section “the governing enactments” means the 1934 Act and section 1 of this Act.

3 Short title, repeals and commencement

(1) This Act may be cited as the National Maritime Museum Act 1989; and this Act and the 1934 Act may be cited together as the National Maritime Museum Acts 1934 and 1989.

(2) In section 1 of the 1934 Act (vesting of land etc.) in subsection (1) the words from “and” onwards and subsections (2) to (5) are hereby repealed.

(3) This Act shall come into force on such day as the Lord President of the Council may by order made by statutory instrument appoint, and different days may be so appointed for different provisions or different purposes.