Merchant Shipping Act 1995

207 Recovery of general light dues

(1) The following persons shall be liable to pay general light dues in respect of any ship in respect of which such dues are payable, namely—

(a) the owner or master; or

(b) such consignees or agents of the owner or master as have paid, or made themselves liable to pay, any other charge on account of the ship in the port of her arrival or discharge.

(2) General light dues so payable in respect of any ship may, in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, be recovered summarily as a civil debt.

(3) In Scotland general light dues shall, for the purposes of their recovery, be regarded as a debt due to the general lighthouse authority.

(4) Any consignee or agent (not being the owner or master of the ship) who is, by this section, made liable for the payment of general light dues in respect of any ship may, out of any money received by him on account of the ship or belonging to its owner, retain the amount of all general light dues paid by him, together with any reasonable expenses he may have incurred by reason of the payment of the dues or his liability to pay them.