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20 Jan 2006 : Column 1628W—continued
Railways
Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on development of passenger train links between Cardiff and Ebbw Vale. [41534]
Nick Ainger: My right hon. Friend discusses transport matters in Wales regularly with the Secretary of State for Transport. The Welsh Assembly Government is providing almost £28 million for the Ebbw Valley railway project to accommodate passenger services between Ebbw Vale, Cardiff and Newport. I understand that an hourly service from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff will start in 2007.
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make representations within Government in support of a direct rail link between London and Shrewsbury. [41558]
Nick Ainger:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport is examining the possibility of direct rail passenger services linking Shrewsbury with London, as part of the 2008 timetable changes being
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delivered with completion of the West Coast Route Modernisation Project. This proposal is dependent upon the business case and is being considered in conjunction with the railway industry, local authorities and other interested bodies.
Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) the Welsh Assembly Government Minister for Economic Development and Transport on the economic and environmental benefits of increasing the railway network in (i) Wales and (ii) Blaenau Gwent. [39756]
Nick Ainger: I have regular discussions with both ministerial and Assembly Government colleagues about matters affecting transport in Wales. In June of last year, rail passenger services returned to the Vale of Glamorgan line for the first time in over 40 years.
The new Arriva Trains Wales timetable launched in December offers further service improvements. Passengers will benefit from an additional 950 services a week across the network; a 28 per cent. increase in Sunday services; more seats on peak-time trains and new two-hourly direct services from Holyhead to Cardiff and from Milford Haven to Manchester.
The Assembly Government is providing almost £28 million for the Ebbw Valley railway project to accommodate passenger services between Ebbw Vale, Cardiff and Newport. I understand that an hourly service from Ebbw Vale to Cardiff will start in 2007 and that the Newport service is likely to begin in 2009.
Wales Office
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many invoices rendered to the Wales Office have failed to be paid within 30 days. [40729]
Nick Ainger: During financial year 2004–05, 98 per cent. of all Wales Office invoices were paid within 30 days, 19 invoices, or 2 per cent. were not paid within the 30 days.
Full breakdown of statistical information can be found in Wales Office Annual Report 2005 Cm6545. Copies are posted on the Wales Office website: www.walesoffice.gov.uk
Payment data for current financial year 2005–06 will be available in spring 2006.
Wind Farms
Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with (a) the National Assembly for Wales and (b) the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the effects of offshore wind farm construction on porpoises. [40812]
Nick Ainger:
Offshore wind farms play a vital role in meeting our renewable energy targets and tackling the threat of climate change. I therefore have regular discussions with my counterparts at the Assembly and DEFRA about offshore wind and other technologies. Wales is set to continue its role as a centre of excellence in the construction of wind farms.
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I am aware that the Countryside Council for Wales, the Government's statutory advisor on nature conservation and countryside matters, has been working with Offshore Windfarm Developers to ensure that the best option for a high standard of protection to all marine mammals is in place during construction.
TREASURY
Birth Abnormalities
Lembit Öpik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) babies and (b) stillborn babies were reported as having birth abnormalities in each year since 1995. [40793]
John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 20 January 2006:
As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) babies and (b) stillborn babies were reported as having birth abnormalities in each year since 1995. (40793)
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is responsible for maintaining the National Congenital Anomaly System (NCAS) notifications in England and Wales. These notifications are provided by NHS Trusts on a voluntary basis either directly to ONS on form SD56 or via local congenital anomaly registers that exchange data with ONS.
The scheme was introduced to monitor short term changes in notification levels. These registers cover only 42 percent of births in England and the number of registers joining the system increases every year. As a result increasing numbers notified are not necessarily an indication of an increased trend in abnormalities.
Figures for live and stillborn babies with congenital abnormalities that were reported to NCAS from 1995 to 2004 are given in the attached table.
(4) Includes cases where information was not available to NCAS on whether the baby was live or still born.
Child Trust Fund
Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people eligible for the child trust fund have applied for and taken up the fund in each month since the scheme was introduced. [44333]
Dawn Primarolo:
Child trust fund statistics are produced quarterly. The latest set were published on 30 November 2005 at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_trust_funds/child-trust-funds.htm. The next set will be published in February 2006.
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Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Paymaster General will reply to the faxed letter of 6 December 2005 from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [44144]
Dawn Primarolo: I hope to be in a position to reply to the hon. Member shortly.
Employment (Tamworth)
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of Tamworth residents were in (a) the top 10 per cent. and (b) the bottom 10 per cent. of income earners in (i) 1994 and (ii) 2004. [43473]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available at constituency level.
Equal Tax Treatment
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that there is equal tax treatment for (a) UK-resident building subcontractors and (b) those working in the UK who are resident in other EU countries. [44197]
Dawn Primarolo: Any subcontractor working in the construction industry in the United Kingdom, whether a resident here or not, needs to register under the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS). Without a CIS tax certificate or registration card the subcontractor cannot be paid.
The United Kingdom charges income tax on the profits of all trades carried on by UK residents whether wholly or partly in the United Kingdom. So that where a subcontractor is resident in the UK the profits of their trade whether carried on in the UK or abroad will be charged to income tax in the UK.
Where a subcontractor is not resident in the UK but carries on a trade either wholly in the UK or partly in the UK and partly elsewhere, the profits from the trade carried on in the UK will be charged to income tax in the UK. This is subject to any relief provided by a relevant double taxation agreement between the United Kingdom and the country of residence of the subcontractor. Such an agreement will in most cases ensure that just one country has taxing rights over the relevant trade income so avoiding economic double taxation of the income.
Where a subcontractor is trading in the UK through a non-resident company, that company will be liable to UK corporation tax on all profits that are attributable to its permanent establishment (i.e. a fixed place of business or an agency) in the UK. Again this is subject to any relief from UK tax provided by a relevant double taxation agreement. If the company does not have a permanent establishment in the UK it will not be within the charge to corporation tax.
For income tax there is therefore under existing UK law equal tax treatment between a UK resident and a resident of another EU member state in respect of the profits of a trade carried on in the United Kingdom and chargeable to tax here.
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For corporation tax the requirement that the non-resident company has a permanent establishment in the UK before it becomes chargeable is not present for UK resident companies. This mirrors the restriction in double taxation agreements through which UK companies get reciprocal relief in other EU states.
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