Light Dues (Hansard, 7 November 1988)

§ Mr. Channon

I am today publishing the report of a working party which recommends changes in the existing light dues regulations. The report and its recommendations should be seen in the context of the Government's overall policy that, so far as is practicable, the user should meet the costs of the aids to navigation provided by the general lighthouse authorities. I believe that the reform of the light dues system is long overdue.It has remained substantially unaltered since 1898 and inevitably fails to reflect the changes in the patterns of seaborne trade and in ship design in the intervening years. I see the recommendations of the working party as a balanced set of proposals which, after many years of prolonged debate, would remove some of the more obvious anomalies.

The main recommendations in the report are that deck cargo charges should no longer be levied, that a standard single tariff should be adopted for both home and foreign trade ships based on a maximum of nine chargeable voyages a year (in place of the present limits of seven foreign trade voyages and 14 home trade voyages); and that gross tonnage should replace net tonnage as the basis of the charge. I am inviting comments from the industry and others concerned on the recommendations of the working party. My present view, however, is that both the main recommendations and the majority of the recommendations of less significance in the report should be implemented and brought into effect from 1 April 1989. Since the main changes proposed would have widely varying effects on individual ships, I am inviting views on whether there should be a phased transition over a three-year period. In addition, shipowners would have the option to pay light dues on no more than two voyages a month. I also hope to be able to introduce a general reduction in light dues simultaneously with these reforms.

In addition, I am inviting comments on the possibility of increasing the at present limited contribution which Ro-Ro ferries make towards light dues.

Besides these actions flowing from the report of the working party, I am inviting the British Ports Federation to undertake a study on the feasibility of charging light dues to pleasure craft.