Northern Lighthouse Board and Trinity House (Triennial Review)

Monday 9th June 2014 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Stephen Hammond)]

On 12 December 2013, I announced the commencement of the triennial review of Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) and Trinity House (TH). Today, I am pleased to announce the conclusion of the review and the publication of the report.

The review was conducted in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance (Guidance on Reviews of Non-Departmental Public Bodies, June 2011).

NLB and TH were involved at key stages of the review, and the findings of the report have been discussed with both bodies. The key conclusion is that the primary function of the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs) (i.e. the provision of marine aids to navigation) is still necessary and that this is best delivered through the NLB and TH as non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).

The review also identified a number of measures which, if implemented, should improve the bodies’ governance transparency and accountability. The Department for Transport will be taking these recommended measures forward in discussion with the GLAs over the coming months.

I would like to thank the GLAs for their assistance, and all those stakeholders who were involved during the course of the review.

The final report of this triennial review can be found on the gov.uk website: http://mrws.decc.gov.uk/ and I have made available copies in the Libraries of both Houses.