Page 21 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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21. In 1948 agreement was reached with the Government of India that His
Majesty’s Government should take over the service and all its assets,(‘T) and the
transfer took place on June 1, 1948, when the Ministry of Transport assumed
responsibility for its administration. It was assisted by a central board in London,
on which shipping companies, including United States tanker companies, were
represented, and a local advisory committee in the Gulf consisting of
representatives of the Political Residency, the Royal Navy, the Basra Port
Directorate and interested shipping companies. The London board made
recommendations to the Ministry of Transport on matters of policy and the Basra
Port Directorate continued to manage the operations and to collect dues. The
Political Residency was the channel of communication between the Ministry of
Transport on the one hand and the local committee and the Basra Port Directorate
on the other.
22. While the administration of the service was in the hands of the
Government of India its funds were held as an informal trust and transactions
were not passed through the Indian Vote Accounts, nor were they published with
the Indian Appropriations Trading Accounts. This informal procedure was not
possible in the United Kingdom and if the service was to continue to be
administered by the Ministry of Transport the revenue and expenditure involved
would have had to be dealt with through the normal vote procedure, with a
consequent loss of flexibility and convenience. For these and other reasons it was
decided to form a company to administer the service with both commercial and
Governmental participation. A company was accordingly incorporated in
London on January 12, 1950, entitled “The Persian Gulf Lighting Service’’
(Appendix A (i)), to which the assets and the administration of the service were
transferred.(4i) The Company is non-profit-making and is in the nature of a trust.
Its revenue is derived from the light dues levied on a voluntary basis on shipping
navigating in the Persian Gulf. While it is commercial in form it is subject to full
Governmental control in all essential matters. The company has a main Board
of Management in London. A Local Advisory Committee, which was reconstituted
under the Articles of Association of the new company, retained much the same
functions as before (Appendix A (ii)).(°) A full-time Superintendent with
headquarters at Bahrain was appointed. As a result of this appointment the
Political Resident was relieved of all responsibility for the administration and
finance of the service but he continued to be consulted when political issues were
involved.
23. In 1952 a new lighthouse tender the Relume which had been specially
constructed for the service replaced the Nearchus and was based on Bahrain. The
Superintendent at Bahrain then took over local operational control of the service.
Some of the service personnel continued to reside at Basra and in 1953 the Port
Directorate there still supplied gas and technical services, but when new premises
which are under construction at Bahrain are ready a complete transfer is to be
effected.
24. Rules for the collection of light dues were issued by the Persian Gulf
Light Service in 1950 and amended in 1951 (Appendix A (iii)). Although the
Political Resident has powers under the Orders in Council for the Shaikhdoms
to make regulations for the recovery of the dues no such regulations have yet been
made and recovery is usually effected from the shipping companies or their agents
without undue difficulty. An arrangement was made under the 1939 Treaty with
Muscat for the payment of a contribution by the Muscat Government out of any
dues recovered by them from shipping to cover the cost of lights maintained in
Omani waters, but when the 1951 Treaty was being negotiated the Persian Gulf
Lighting Service agreed that no action should be taken to obtain a contribution
towards the cost of the Muscat light.(so)
25. Up to date the Rulers have been given no say in the affairs of the service
except that they are consulted when it is proposed to erect lighthouses or beacons
in their territories, and in particular the recovery of dues from vessels which visit
their ports is made without any sanction from them. In 1948 the Ruler of Bahrain

/mfRO toFO. Ext. 535/48 of February 25, 1948 (E 2766/175/91 of 1948).
ofT toF.O. M. 5909/49 of February 3. 1950 (EA 1401/11 of 1950).
>«< M' of T‘ to F O. M (NA) 32/2/02 of December 4, 1952 (EA 1402/20 of 1952).
n M ofT to FO., F.S.R. 17/5/04 of October 16. 1951 (EA 1053/103 of 1951).