The National Maritime Museum was established by the National Maritime Museum Act 1934, supplemented by the National Maritime Museum Act 1989 and the Museums and Galleries Act 1992. Its charitable purposes are set out in section 3 of the 1934 Act and section 1 of the 1989 Act. The National Maritime Museum Act 1934 established a Board of Trustees, who are a statutory corporation by the name of the Trustees of the National Maritime Museum and which has the general management and control of the Museum.
For legal purposes, the National Maritime Museum entity incorporates the Royal Observatory, the Peter Harrison Planetarium, the Queen’s House the Cutty Sark and the Prince Philip Maritime Collection Centre. Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) is a collective brand name for the sites.
Acts of Parliament and statutory instruments
Details of all legislation that applies to the establishment and running of the Museum:
The Act of Parliament that founded the National Maritime Museum.
The Act of Parliament that transferred the buildings and estate to the National Maritime Museum’s trustees.
An Act of Parliament that revised certain provisions of the 1934 Act relating to accounting procedures and responsibility for appointments.
The National Maritime Museum is a non-departmental public body (NDPB), operating at arm's length from government, but accountable to Parliament. It is an exempt charity whose Principal Regulator is the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
The Museum generates some 48% of its income from its trading activity, donations and sponsorship and it also receives funding from the taxpayer via Grant-in-Aid through the Department for Culture Media and Sport. The Grant-in-Aid is provided by Parliament to enable the Board of Trustees to carry out the objectives set out in the original and amended Acts.
The Framework Document sets out the broad governance framework within which RMG and the DCMS operate:
Public Sector Information (PSI)
Documents required under the Public Sector Information Directive 2015: