OpenLegislation

The Pleasure Craft (Arrival and Report) Regulations 1996

S.I. 1996/1406 · Made 29 May 1996 · Extends to United Kingdom

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 6 August 2026.

CUSTOMS AND EXCISE

Made 29th May 1996

Laid before Parliament 7th June 1996

Coming into force 28th June 1996

The Commissioners of Customs and Excise in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 35(4) and 42(1)(a) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979f1 and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Regulations:

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

1979 c. 2; section 1(1) defines “the Commissioners” as meaning the Commissioners of Customs and Excise.

Contents

  1. Part I: PRELIMINARY
  2. 1Citation and commencement
  3. 2Interpretation
  4. 3Application
  5. Part II: GENERAL
  6. 4The flying of the signal flag ‘Q’
  7. 5Movement of vessels and persons
  8. Part III: PROCEDURE FOR REPORT ON ARRIVAL
  9. 6Regulation 6
  10. Part IV: REVOCATION
  11. 7Regulation 7
  12. Signature
  13. Schedule THE TERRITORIES REFERRED TO Repealed
  14. Explanatory note

1Citation and commencementI1

These Regulations may be cited as the Pleasure Craft (Arrival and Report) Regulations 1996 and shall come into force on 28th June 1996.

2InterpretationI1

In these Regulations—

  • “arrival” means the anchoring, berthing or mooring of a vessel within the limits of a port and “arrive” and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;

  • F1“CEMA 1979” means the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979;

  • “notification of arrival” means notification of arrival as referred to in regulation 6(2);

  • “pleasure craft” means a vessel which, at the time of its arrival in the United Kingdom, is being used for private recreational purposes;

  • F2“the Directions” means directions made by the Commissioners under section 35(1) of CEMA 1979;

  • “the person responsible” means the person on board a vessel under whose command or subject to whose personal direction it has arrived or is intended to arrive as a pleasure craft;

  • “the prescribed form” means the form prescribed by the Commissioners for the purposes of these Regulations in F3the Directions.

3ApplicationI1

These Regulations shall apply to a pleasure craft which arrives in the United Kingdom from a place outside the F1United Kingdom other than the Isle of Man.

4The flying of the signal flag ‘Q’I1

The person responsible shall cause a yellow flag (the signal flag for ‘Q’ in the International Code of Signals) to be flown on a vessel which it is intended shall arrive as a pleasure craft at all times between the crossing of the limits of a port in the United Kingdom and F1being notified by an officer that the flag may be lowered.

5Movement of vessels and personsI1

(1)

Subject to paragraph (3) below, no person, after the arrival of a pleasure craft in the United Kingdom, shall move the vessel until report of the vessel has been made in accordance with regulation 6.

(2)

Subject to paragraph (4) below, no person who is on board a pleasure craft at the time of its arrival in the United Kingdom shall disembark from the vessel until report of the vessel has been made in accordance with regulation 6, save that such a person may disembark for the purpose of giving notification of arrival and may remain away from the vessel for as long as is reasonable in connection with that purpose.

(3)

By way of exception to paragraph (1) above, where a person giving notification of arrival is told that an officer is not to board the vessel, the vessel may be moved as soon as the person giving such notification has been so told.

(4)

By way of exception to paragraph (2) above, where a person giving notification of arrival is told that an officer is not to board the vessel, persons may disembark as soon as the person giving such notification has been so told.

(5)

Nothing in this regulation shall affect any Act or subordinate legislation relating to public health, having effect in the United Kingdom or any part thereof. In this paragraph, “Act” and“subordinate legislation” have the same respective meanings as in the Interpretation Act 1978f1.

6I1

(1)

The procedure for making report of a pleasure craft which has arrived F1or is expected to arrive in the United Kingdom shall be as set out in paragraphs (2) to (7) below.

F2(2)

Subject to paragraph (3), the person responsible or a person acting on behalf of that person (“P”), must notify arrival of the vessel to an officer electronically, in person or by telephone as soon as practicable after the arrival of the vessel.

(3)

Where an officer boards the vessel after its arrival and before notification of arrival has been given, such notification shall not be required with effect from the moment of such boarding.

F3(4)

P must submit an arrival report to an officer as soon as practicable after the arrival of the vessel either electronically or using the prescribed form in accordance with paragraph (5).

(5)

The prescribed form must be provided to an officer in person or posted to the address specified in the prescribed form.

(6)

In advance of the arrival of the vessel, P may meet the requirement—

(a)

in paragraph (2), by making a notification of arrival to an officer either electronically or by telephone;

(b)

in paragraph (4), by submitting an arrival report to an officer electronically.

(7)

Any notification of arrival or arrival report made or submitted under this regulation must contain the particulars and be made or submitted in the form and manner specified in the Directions.

7I1

The Pleasure Craft (Arrival and Report) Regulations 1990f1 are hereby revoked.

Signature

M J Eland

Commissioner of Customs and Excise

New King’s Beam House,

22 Upper Ground,

London,

SE1 9PJ

THE TERRITORIES REFERRED TOF1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations revoke and re-enact with changes the Pleasure Craft (Arrival and Report) Regulations 1990 as amended by the Customs and Excise (Single Market etc.) Regulations 1992. Under the 1990 Regulations, the requirement to notify arrival was confined to certain vessels based in the United Kingdom which arrived from a place outside the European Community. Also, the person responsible for a pleasure craft not based in the United Kingdom which arrived from a place outside the European Community was obliged in all cases to remain on board the vessel until an officer had boarded. These Regulations remove the distinction between United Kingdom and non-United Kingdom based vessels, require notification of arrival of all vessels and permit anyone on board to disembark if and when the person giving notification is told that an officer is not to board.