Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988

CHAPTER IVSUB-CONTRACTORS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

559Deductions on account of tax etc. from payments to certain sub-contractors

(1)Subject to subsection (2) below, where a contract relating to construction operations is not a contract of employment but—

(a)one party to the contract is a sub-contractor; and

(b)another party to the contract (“the contractor”) either is a sub-contractor under another such contract relating to all or any of the construction operations or is a person to whom section 560(2) applies,

this section shall apply to any payments which are made under the contract and are so made by the contractor to—

(i)the sub-contractor;

(ii)a person nominated by the sub-contractor or the contractor; or

(iii)a person nominated by a person who is a sub-contractor under another such contract relating to all or any of the construction operations.

(2)Subsection (1) above shall not apply to any payment made under the contract in question if the person to whom it is made or, if it is made to a nominee, each of the following persons, that is to say, the nominee, the person who nominated him and the person for whose labour (or, where that person is a company, for whose employees' or officers' labour) the payment is made, is excepted from this section in relation to those payments by virtue of section 561.

(3)Subsection (2) above does not apply to so much of any payment made under the contract in question to a person falling within subsection (4) of section 561 as exceeds, or in aggregate with other payments specified in regulations made under subsection (5) of that section exceeds, the limit prescribed by those regulations.

(4)On making a payment to which this section applies the contractor shall deduct from it a sum equal to 27 per cent. of so much of the payment as is not shown to represent the direct cost to any other person of materials used or to be used in carrying out the construction operations to which the contract under which the payment is to be made relates; and the sum so deducted shall be paid to the Board and shall be treated for the purposes of income tax or, as the case may be, corporation tax—

(a)as not diminishing the payment; but

(b)subject to subsection (5) below, as being income tax or, as the case may be, corporation tax paid in respect of the profits or gains of the trade, profession or vocation of the person for whose (or for whose employees' or officers') labour the contractor makes the payment.

(5)Where a sum deducted and paid to the Board under subsection (4) above is more than sufficient to discharge the liability to income tax of the person referred to in paragraph (b) of that subsection in respect of the profits or gains mentioned in that paragraph, so much of the excess as is required to discharge any liability of that person for Class 4 contributions shall be treated as being, for the purposes of the Social Security Act, Class 4 contributions paid in respect of the profits or gains so mentioned.

(6)References in section 1(1) of the [1964 c. 32 (N.I.)] Preferential Payments (Bankruptcies and Arrangements) Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 to sums due on account of tax deductions for any period shall be construed as including references to any amounts due from any person in respect of deductions required to be made by him under this section.

(7)For the purposes of this Chapter a payment (including a payment by way of loan) that has the effect of discharging an obligation under a contract relating to construction operations shall be taken to be made under the contract; and if—

(a)the obligation is to make a payment to a person within subsection (1)(i) to (iii) above, but

(b)the payment discharging that obligation is made to a person not within those paragraphs,

the payment shall for those purposes be taken to be made to the first-mentioned person.

(8)In this section—

• “Class 4 contributions” means Class 4 contributions within the meaning of the [1975 c. 14.] Social Security Act 1975 or, as the case may be, the [1975 c. 15.] Social Security (Northern Ireland) Act 1975; and

• “the Social Security Act” means whichever of those Acts is the one under which the contribution in question is payable.

560Persons who are sub-contractors or contractors for purposes of Chapter IV

(1)For the purposes of this Chapter a party to a contract relating to construction operations is a sub-contractor if, under the contract—

(a)he is under a duty to the contractor to carry out the operations, or to furnish his own labour (that is to say, in the case of a company, the labour of employees or officers of the company) or the labour of others in the carrying out of the operations or to arrange for the labour of others to be furnished in the carrying out of the operations; or

(b)he is answerable to the contractor for the carrying out of the operations by others, whether under a contract or under other arrangements made or to be made by him.

(2)This subsection applies to the following persons, that is to say—

(a)any person carrying on a business which includes construction operations;

(b)any local authority;

(c)any development corporation or new town commission;

(d)the Commission for the New Towns;

(e)the Housing Corporation, a housing association, a housing trust, the Scottish Special Housing Association, and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive;

(f)a person carrying on a business at any time if—

(i)his average annual expenditure on construction operations in the period of three years ending with the end of the last period of account before that time exceeds £250,000, or

(ii)where he was not carrying on the business at the beginning of that period of three years, one-third of his total expenditure on construction operations for the part of that period during which he has been carrying on the business exceeds £250,000;

and in paragraph (f) “period of account” means a period for which an account is made up in relation to the business in question.

(3)Where section 559(1)(b) begins to apply to any person in any period of account by virtue of his falling within subsection (2)(f) above, it shall continue to apply to him until he satisfies the Board that his expenditure on construction operations has been less than £250,000 in each of three successive years beginning in or after that period of account.

(4)Where the whole or part of a trade is transferred by a company (“the transferor”) to another company (“the transferee”) and section 343 has effect in relation to the transfer, then in determining for the purposes of this section the amount of expenditure incurred by the transferee—

(a)the whole or, as the case may be, a proportionate part of any expenditure incurred by the transferor at a time before the transfer shall be treated as if it had been incurred at that time by the transferee; and

(b)where only a part of the trade is transferred the expenditure shall be apportioned in such manner as appears to the Board, or on appeal to the Commissioners, to be just and reasonable.

(5)In this section—

• “development corporation” has the same meaning as in the [1981 c. 64.] New Towns Act 1981 or the [1968 c. 16.] New Towns (Scotland) Act 1968;

• “housing association” has the same meaning as in the [1985 c. 69.] Housing Associations Act 1985 or the [S.I. 1981/156 (N.I. 3).] Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1981;

• “housing trust” has the same meaning as in the Housing Associations Act 1985; and

• “new town commission” has the same meaning as in the [1965 c. 13 (N.I.).] New Towns Act (Northern Ireland) 1965.

561Exceptions from section 559

(1)Subject to the provisions of regulations under subsection (5) below or section 566(2), a person is excepted from section 559 in relation to payments made under a contract if a certificate under this section has been issued to that person and is in force when the payment is made, but—

(a)where the certificate has been issued to a person who becomes a partner in a firm, that person is not excepted in relation to payments made under contracts under which the firm or, where a person has nominated the firm to receive payments, the person who has nominated the firm is a sub-contractor; and

(b)where a certificate has been issued to a person as a partner in a firm, that person is excepted in relation only to payments made under contracts under which the firm or, where a person has nominated the firm to receive payments, the person who has nominated the firm, is a sub-contractor.

(2)If the Board are satisfied, on the application of an individual or a company, that—

(a)where the application is for the issue of a certificate to an individual (otherwise than as a partner in a firm), he satisfies the conditions set out in section 562;

(b)where the application is for the issue of a certificate to a person as a partner in a firm, that person satisfies the conditions set out in section 563 if he is an individual or, if a company, the conditions set out in section 565 and, in either case, the firm itself satisfies the conditions set out in section 564;

(c)where the application is for the issue of a certificate to a company, the company satisfies the conditions set out in section 565 and, if the Board have given a direction under subsection (4) below, each of the persons to whom any of the conditions set out in section 562 applies in accordance with the direction satisfies the conditions which so apply to him,

the Board shall issue to that individual or company a certificate excepting that individual or company (or, in a case falling within paragraph (b) above, that individual or company as a partner in the firm specified in the certificate) from section 559.

(3)References in subsection (2) above to an individual, a company or a firm satisfying conditions set out in section 562, 563, 564 or 565 include, in relation to a condition which may, by virtue of a provision of that section, be treated as being satisfied, references to that individual, company or firm being treated as satisfying that condition.

(4)This subsection applies to the holder of a certificate in force under this section if it was issued to him on the basis—

(a)that the condition in subsection (3) of section 562 was inapplicable to him by reason of paragraph (b) of that subsection; or

(b)that he satisfied that condition by virtue of subsection (7) of that section.

(5)The Board may make regulations securing that a person to whom subsection (4) above applies shall not be excepted from subsection (1) above in relation to a payment to the extent that the amount of the payment, or the aggregate amount of the payment and such other payments as may be prescribed by the regulations, exceeds a limit so prescribed.

(6)Where it appears to the Board, on an application made under subsection (2) above by a company, that the company—

(a)was incorporated on a date within the period of three years ending with the date of the application; or

(b)has not carried on business continuously throughout that period; or

(c)has carried on business continuously throughout that period but the business has not at all times in that period consisted of or included the carrying out of construction operations; or

(d)does not at the date of the application hold a certificate which is then in force under this section;

the Board may direct that the conditions set out in section 562 or such of them as are specified in the direction shall apply to the directors of the company and, if the company is a close company, to the persons who are the beneficial owners of shares in the company or to such of those directors or persons as are so specified as if each of them were an applicant for a certificate under this section (not being a certificate to the holder of which section 561(4) would apply).

In this subsection “director” has the same meaning as in Chapter II of Part V.

(7)Where it appears to the Board that there has been a change in the control of a company holding or applying for a certificate, the Board may make any such direction as is referred to in subsection (6) above.

(8)The Board may at any time cancel a certificate which has been issued to a person and is in force under this section if it appears to them that—

(a)it was issued on information which was false;

(b)if an application for the issue of a certificate under this section to that person were made at that time, the Board would refuse to issue a certificate;

(c)that person has permitted the certificate to be misused; or

(d)in the case of a certificate issued to a company, there has been a change in the control of the company and information with respect to that change has not been furnished in accordance with regulations under section 566(2);

and may by notice require that person to deliver the certificate to the Board within the time specified in the notice.

Section 840 shall apply for the purposes of paragraph (d) above.

(9)A person aggrieved by the refusal of an application for a certificate under this section or the cancellation of such a certificate may, by notice given to the Board within 30 days after the refusal or, as the case may be, cancellation, appeal to the General Commissioners or, if he so elects in the notice, to the Special Commissioners; and the jurisdiction of the Commissioners on such an appeal shall include jurisdiction to review any relevant decision taken by the Board in the exercise of their functions under this section.

(10)If any person, for the purpose of obtaining a certificate under this section—

(a)makes any statement, or furnishes any document, which he knows to be false in a material particular; or

(b)recklessly makes any statement, or furnishes any document, which is false in a material particular,

he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £5,000.

(11)A person to whom a certificate is issued under this section or a voucher is given as required by regulations under section 566(2)(j) shall take all reasonable steps to ensure its safety; and any person who, without lawful authority or lawful excuse—

(a)disposes of any such certificate or voucher or any form supplied by the Board in connection with regulations made by virtue of section 566(2)(e); or

(b)possesses such a certificate, voucher or form or any document purporting to be such a certificate, voucher or form,

shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £5,000.

(12)Notwithstanding any enactment prescribing the period within which summary proceedings may be commenced, proceedings for an offence under subsection (10) or (11) above may be commenced at any time within three years from the commission of the offence.

(13)Without prejudice to section 843(3), this section shall come into force on 6th April 1988 to the exclusion of the provisions of section 70 of the [1975 c. 45.] Finance (No.2) Act 1975 which are re-enacted in this section, but any offence committed before that date shall not be punishable under this section and neither this subsection nor any other provision of this Act shall prevent any such offence from being punishable as if this Act had not been passed.

562Conditions to be satisfied by individuals

(1)In the case of an application for the issue of a certificate under section 561 to an individual (otherwise than as a partner in a firm) the following conditions are required to be satisfied by that individual.

(2)The applicant must be carrying on a business in the United Kingdom which satisfies the following conditions, that is to say—

(a)the business consists of or includes the carrying out of construction operations or the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of labour in carrying out construction operations;

(b)the business is, to a substantial extent, carried on by means of an account with a bank;

(c)the business is carried on with proper records and in particular with records which are proper having regard to the obligations referred to in subsections (8) to (12) below; and

(d)the business is carried on from proper premises and with proper equipment, stock and other facilities.

(3)Unless the applicant—

(a)is the holder of a certificate in force under section 561 (other than a holder to whom section 561(4) applies), or

(b)supplies the Board with a guarantee by such person, for such amount and in such form as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Board,

he must throughout the period of three years ending with the date of his application for a certificate under section 561, have been employed in the United Kingdom as the holder of an office or employment or as a person carrying on a trade, profession or vocation.

(4)The applicant must not be receiving full-time education or full-time training.

(5)An applicant shall be treated as satisfying the condition in subsection (3) above if—

(a)he satisfies the Board that he has been employed as mentioned in that subsection throughout a period of three years beginning not more than six years before the date of his application and ending on a date before that date;

(b)he satisfies the Board either—

(i)that he has not been so employed throughout the whole of the period between those dates, or

(ii)that he has not been so employed during any part of that period other than a part for which he specifies he has been so employed; and

(c)where the applicant states that he has been outside the United Kingdom for the whole or part of the period mentioned in paragraph (b) above, he satisfies the Board of that fact by such evidence as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Board.

(6)The Board may for the purposes of subsections (3) and (5) above treat a person as having been employed as mentioned in subsection (3) above throughout a period of three years if during a period of three years he has been so employed except for a period or periods not exceeding six months or six months in aggregate.

(7)If the applicant satisfies the Board that he has during any period within six years before the date of his application attended a school or other establishment for the purpose of receiving full-time education or full-time training, this section shall have effect as if that period were one during which he was employed as mentioned in subsection (3) above.

(8)The applicant must, subject to subsection (10) below, have complied with all obligations imposed on him by or under the Tax Acts or the Management Act in respect of periods ending within the qualifying period and with all requests to supply to an inspector accounts of, or other information about, any business of his in respect of periods so ending.

(9)An applicant who at any time in the qualifying period had control of a company shall be taken not to satisfy the condition in subsection (8) above unless the company has satisfied that condition in relation to periods ending at a time within that period when he had control of it; and for this purpose “control” has the meaning given by section 840.

(10)An applicant or company that has failed to comply with such an obligation or request as is referred to in subsection (8) above shall nevertheless be treated as satisfying that condition as regards that obligation or request if the Board are of the opinion that the failure is minor and technical and does not give reason to doubt that the conditions mentioned in subsection (13) below will be satisfied.

(11)An applicant who must satisfy the Board under subsection (5) above that he has been outside the United Kingdom for the whole or part of the period mentioned in subsection (5)(b) above must also satisfy them by such evidence as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Board that he has complied with any obligations imposed under the tax laws of any country in which he was living during that period which are comparable to the obligations mentioned in subsection (8) above.

(12)The applicant must, if any contribution has at any time during the qualifying period become due from him under Part I of the [1975 c. 14.] Social Security Act 1975 or Part I of the [1975 c. 15.] Social Security (Northern Ireland) Act 1975, have paid the contribution when it became due.

(13)There must be reason to expect that the applicant will, in respect of periods ending after the end of the qualifying period, comply with such obligations as are referred to in subsections (8) to (12) above and with such requests as are referred to in subsection (8) above.

(14)In this section “the qualifying period” means—

(a)in relation to a person who is within subsection (5) above, the period starting at the beginning of the last period of three years before his application throughout which he has been employed as mentioned in subsection (3) above (or is by virtue of subsection (6) above treated as having been so employed) and ending on the date of his application; and

(b)in the case of any other person, the period of three years ending with the date of his application.

563Conditions to be satisfied by partners who are individuals

(1)In the case of an application for the issue of a certificate under section 561 to an individual who is a partner in a firm, the following conditions are required to be satisfied by that individual.

(2)The partner, unless he is the holder of a certificate in force under section 561 (other than a holder to whom section 561(4) applies), must throughout the period of three years ending with the date of his application for a certificate under section 561 have been employed in the United Kingdom as the holder of an office or employment or as a person carrying on a trade, profession or vocation.

(3)A partner who has not fulfilled the condition in subsection (2) above shall nevertheless be treated as satisfying that condition if—

(a)he satisfies the Board that he has been employed as mentioned in that subsection throughout a period of three years beginning not more than six years before the date of his application and ending on a date before that date;

(b)he satisfies the Board either—

(i)that he has not been so employed throughout the whole of the period between those dates, or

(ii)that he has not been so employed during any part of that period other than a part for which he specifies he has been so employed; and

(c)where the partner states that he has been outside the United Kingdom for the whole or part of the period mentioned in paragraph (b) above, he satisfies the Board of that fact by such evidence as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Board.

(4)The Board may for the purposes of this paragraph treat a person as having been employed as mentioned in subsection (2) above throughout a period of three years if during a period of three years he has been so employed except for a period or periods not exceeding six months or six months in aggregate.

(5)The partner must, subject to subsection (6) below, have complied with all obligations imposed on him by or under the Income Tax Acts or the Management Act in respect of periods ending within the qualifying period and with all requests to supply to an inspector accounts of, or other information about, any business of his in respect of periods so ending.

(6)A partner who has failed to comply with such an obligation or request as is referred to in subsection (5) above shall nevertheless be treated as satisfying that condition as regards that obligation or request if the Board are of the opinion that the failure is minor and technical and does not give reason to doubt that the conditions mentioned in subsection (9) below will be satisfied.

(7)A partner who must satisfy the Board under subsection (3) above that he has been outside the United Kingdom for the whole or part of the period mentioned in subsection (3)(b) above must also satisfy them by such evidence as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Board that he has complied with any obligations imposed under the tax laws of any country in which he was living during that period which are comparable to the obligations mentioned in subsection (5) above.

(8)The partner must, if any contribution has at any time during the qualifying period become due from him under Part I of the [1975 c. 14.] Social Security Act 1975 or Part I of the [1975 c. 15.] Social Security (Northern Ireland) Act 1975, have paid the contribution when it became due.

(9)There must be reason to expect that the partner will, in respect of periods ending after the end of the qualifying period, comply with such obligations as are referred to in subsections (5) to (8) above and with such requests as are referred to in subsection (5) above.

(10)In this section “the qualifying period” means—

(a)in relation to a person who is within subsection (3) above, the period starting at the beginning of the last period of three years before his application throughout which he has been employed as mentioned in subsection (2) above (or is by virtue of subsection (4) above treated as having been so employed) and ending on the date of his application, and

(b)in the case of any other person, the period of three years ending with the date of his application.

564Conditions to be satisfied by firms

(1)In the case of an application for the issue of a certificate under section 561 to an individual or a company as a partner in a firm the following conditions are required to be satisfied by the firm.

(2)The firm’s business must be carried on in the United Kingdom and must satisfy the conditions mentioned in section 562(2)(a) to (d).

(3)Subject to subsection (4) below, any income tax or corporation tax which became due from any partner in the firm in respect of the firm’s business at any time in the period of three years ending with the date of the application for a certificate under section 561 must have been paid when the tax was demanded.

(4)Where the obligation referred to in subsection (3) above has not been complied with in the case of any firm, the firm shall nevertheless be treated as satisfying that condition as regards that tax if the Board are of the opinion that the failure is minor and technical and does not give reason to doubt that the conditions mentioned in subsection (5) below will be satisfied.

(5)There must be reason to expect that income tax or corporation tax becoming due in respect of the firm’s business in respect of periods ending after the end of the period referred to in subsection (3) above will be paid when it is demanded.

565Conditions to be satisfied by companies

(1)In the case of an application for the issue of a certificate under section 561 to a company (whether as a partner in a firm or otherwise), the following conditions are required to be satisfied by the company.

(2)The company must be carrying on (whether or not in partnership) a business in the United Kingdom and that business must satisfy the conditions mentioned in section 562(2)(a) to (d).

(3)The company must, subject to subsection (4) below, have complied with all obligations imposed on it by or under the Tax Acts or the Management Act in respect of periods ending within the qualifying period and with all requests to supply to an inspector accounts of, or other information about, the business of the company in respect of periods so ending.

(4)A company which has failed to comply with such an obligation or request as is referred to in subsection (3) above shall nevertheless be treated as satisfying this condition as regards that obligation or request if the Board are of the opinion that the failure is minor and technical and does not give reason to doubt that the conditions mentioned in subsection (8) below will be satisfied.

(5)The company must, if any contribution has at any time during the qualifying period become due from the company under Part I of the [1975 c. 14.] Social Security Act 1975 or Part I of the [1975 c. 15.] Social Security (Northern Ireland) Act 1975 have paid the contribution when it became due.

(6)The company must have complied with any obligations imposed on it by the following provisions of the [1985 c. 6] Companies Act 1985, in so far as those obligations fell to be complied with within the qualifying period, that is to say—

(a)sections 227 and 241 (contents, laying and delivery of annual accounts);

(b)section 287 (registered office and notification of changes therein);

(c)section 288(2) (return of directors and secretary and notification of changes therein);

(d)sections 363, 364 and 365 (annual returns);

(e)section 691 (registration of constitutional documents and list of directors and secretary of oversea company);

(f)section 692 (notification of changes in constitution or directors or secretary of oversea company);

(g)section 693 (oversea company to state its name and country of incorporation);

(h)section 699 (obligations of companies incorporated in Channel Islands or Isle of Man);

(j)Chapter II of Part XXIII (accounts of oversea company).

(7)The company must have complied with any obligations imposed on it by the following provisions of the [S.I. 1986/1032 (N.I. 6).] Companies (Northern Ireland) Order 1986, in so far as those obligations fell to be complied with within the qualifying period, that is to say—

(a)Articles 235, 247 and 249 (annual accounts, documents included in annual accounts and laying and delivery of accounts);

(b)Article 295 (registered office and notification of changes therein);

(c)Article 296(2) (return of directors and secretary and notification of changes therein);

(d)Articles 371, 372 and 373 (annual returns);

(e)Article 641 (registration of constitutional documents and list of directors and secretary of oversea company);

(f)Article 642 (notification of changes in constitution or directors or secretary of oversea company);

(g)Article 643 (oversea company to state its name and country of incorporation);

(h)Article 649 (accounts of oversea company).

(8)There must be reason to expect that the company will, in respect of periods ending after the end of the qualifying period, comply with all such obligations as are referred to in subsections (2) to (7) above and with such requests as are referred to in subsection (3) above.

(9)In this section “qualifying period” means the period of three years ending with the date of the company’s application for a certificate under section 561.

566General powers to make regulations under Chapter IV

(1)The Board shall make regulations with respect to the collection and recovery, whether by assessment or otherwise, of sums required to be deducted from any payments under section 559 and for the giving of receipts by persons receiving the payments to persons making them; and those regulations may include any matters with respect to which regulations may be made under section 203.

(2)The Board may make regulations—

(a)prescribing the period for which certificates under section 561 are to be issued and the form of such certificates;

(b)providing for the renewal of such certificates;

(c)providing for the issue, renewal or cancellation of such certificates or the giving of directions under section 561(6) by inspectors on behalf of the Board;

(d)requiring the furnishing of information with respect to changes in the control of a company holding or applying for such a certificate;

(e)requiring the production of such certificates to such persons and in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations and providing for the completion and return to the Board of forms certifying such production;

(f)requiring the surrender to the Board of such certificates in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations;

(g)requiring persons who make payments under contracts relating to construction operations to keep such records and to make to the Board such returns relating to payments so made by them as may be specified in the regulations, and requiring persons who hold such certificates to keep such records relating to payments so made to them as may be so specified;

(h)with respect to the production, copying and removal of, and the making of extracts from, any records kept by virtue of any such requirement as is referred to in paragraph (g) above and with respect to rights of access to or copies of any such records which are removed;

(j)requiring vouchers for payments made under contracts relating to construction operations to persons who hold such certificates to be obtained by the person making, and given by the person receiving, the payment, prescribing the form of the vouchers, and requiring their production or surrender to the Board in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations; and

(k)excluding payments from the operation of section 561 where, in such circumstances as may be specified in the regulations, the requirements of regulations relating to the production of certificates or the obtaining, production or surrender of vouchers have not been complied with;

and any such regulations may make different provision for different circumstances.

Section 840 shall apply for the purposes of paragraph (d) above.

567Meaning of “construction operations”

(1)In this Chapter “construction operations” means operations of any description specified in subsection (2) below, not being operations of any description specified in subsection (3) below; and references to construction operations shall be taken—

(a)except where the context otherwise requires, as including references to the work of individuals participating in the carrying out of such operations; and

(b)except in the case of offshore installations, as not including references to operations carried out or to be carried out otherwise than in the United Kingdom.

(2)The following operations are, subject to subsection (3) below, construction operations for the purposes of this Chapter—

(a)construction, alteration, repair, extension, demolition or dismantling of buildings or structures (whether permanent or not), including offshore installations;

(b)construction, alteration, repair, extension or demolition of any works forming, or to form, part of the land, including (without prejudice to the foregoing) walls, roadworks, power-lines, telecommunication apparatus, aircraft runways, docks and harbours, railways, inland waterways, pipe-lines, reservoirs, water-mains, wells, sewers, industrial plant and installations for purposes of land drainage, coast protection or defence;

(c)installation in any building or structure of systems of heating, lighting, air-conditioning, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water supply or fire protection;

(d)internal cleaning of buildings and structures, so far as carried out in the course of their construction, alteration, repair, extension or restoration;

(e)operations which form an integral part of, or are preparatory to, or are for rendering complete, such operations as are previously described in this subsection, including site clearance, earth-moving, excavation, tunnelling and boring, laying of foundations, erection of scaffolding, site restoration, landscaping and the provision of roadways and other access works;

(f)painting or decorating the internal or external surfaces of any building or structure.

(3)The following operations are not construction operations for the purposes of this Chapter—

(a)drilling for, or extraction of, oil or natural gas;

(b)extraction (whether by underground or surface working) of minerals; tunnelling or boring, or construction of underground works, for this purpose;

(c)manufacture of building or engineering components or equipment, materials, plant or machinery, or delivery of any of these things to site;

(d)manufacture of components for systems of heating, lighting, air-conditioning, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water supply or fire protection, or delivery of any of these things to site;

(e)the professional work of architects or surveyors, or of consultants in building, engineering, interior or exterior decoration or in the laying-out of landscape;

(f)the making, installation and repair of artistic works, being sculptures, murals and other works which are wholly artistic in nature;

(g)signwriting and erecting, installing and repairing signboards and advertisements;

(h)the installation of seating, blinds and shutters;

(j)the installation of security systems, including burglar alarms, closed circuit television and public address systems.

(4)In this section “offshore installations” means installations which are maintained, or are intended to be established, for underwater exploitation or exploration to which the [1971 c. 61.] Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act 1971 applies.

(5)The Treasury may by order—

(a)include in subsection (2) above any description of operations as to which they are satisfied that it is a normal activity of the construction industry and that its inclusion in that subsection is necessary for achieving the object of section 559;

(b)include in subsection (3) above any description of operations as to which they are satisfied that it cannot properly be considered a normal activity of the construction industry and ought to be excluded from subsection (2) above.

(6)An order under subsection (5) above shall not have effect unless a draft of the instrument containing it has been laid before and approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.