Commentary on Sections Pilotage Section 1: Power to remove harbour authorities’ pilotage functions
12.Section 1 amends the Pilotage Act 1987 to provide the appropriate national authority with power to specify by order that a harbour authority in England, Wales or Scotland is not a competent harbour authority within the meaning of that Act. Making such an order in respect of a competent harbour authority will mean it is no longer required to carry out certain duties set out in the Pilotage Act. The relevant duties include keeping under review whether any, and, if so, what pilotage services need to be provided for the safety of ships in its harbour or its approaches and whether pilotage should be compulsory. The appropriate national authority in this context is the Secretary of State as regards harbours in England and Wales and the Scottish Ministers as regards harbours in Scotland. In England and Wales, the order making power is subject to the applicable negative resolution scrutiny procedure.