Lord Caine
Conservative - Life peer
Became Member: 2nd September 2016
Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
(since September 2024)Division Voting information
Debates during the 2024 Parliament
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
Sparring Partners
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
(6 debate interactions)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(2 debate interactions)
Department Debates
(3 debate contributions)
(2 debate contributions)
(1 debate contributions)
(1 debate contributions)
Legislation Debates
Lord Caine has not made any spoken contributions to legislative debateLords initiatives
These initiatives were driven by Lord Caine, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
1 Bill introduced by Lord Caine
A Bill to make provision about the national and cultural identity and language in Northern Ireland
This Bill received Royal Assent on 6th December 2022 and was enacted into law.
Lord Caine has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Latest 22 Written Questions
(View all written questions)Sue Gray has decided not to accept the role of Envoy to the Nations and Regions. It would not be appropriate to share details of HR matters.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Prime Minister began immediate work to reset relationships with leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and regional mayors in England. The Prime Minister travelled to meet with the First Ministers in Scotland and Wales, and the First Minister and deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland within the first week of being in office. He also hosted the regional mayors for a meeting in Downing Street. He has since had further correspondence and conversations with leaders across the nations and regions, including at the first Council of the Nations and Regions. He speaks regularly to the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including at Cabinet meetings.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Prime Minister began immediate work to reset relationships with leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and regional mayors in England. The Prime Minister travelled to meet with the First Ministers in Scotland and Wales, and the First Minister and deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland within the first week of being in office. He also hosted the regional mayors for a meeting in Downing Street. He has since had further correspondence and conversations with leaders across the nations and regions, including at the first Council of the Nations and Regions. He speaks regularly to the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including at Cabinet meetings.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There is no further update following the answer given in HL1373.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There is no further update following the answer given in HL1373.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Special advisers are required to abide by the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers at all times and are required to make declarations in line with published transparency guidance. Under the guidance, which was also in place for the previous Administration, details of meetings between special advisers and the devolved governments or political parties are not disclosed.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Qualification for inclusion under each of these employment rights will depend on whether individuals meet the eligibility criteria for each right. If a special adviser meets the eligibility criteria, then a right will apply to them.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
1 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Questions
(View all Lord Caine's Defra questions)The Government has carefully reviewed the evidence from the consultation carried out earlier this year and has conducted comprehensive engagement with businesses. This has informed our planned approach which will safeguard the supply of goods into Northern Ireland.
We will work intensively with industry to monitor those supplies and to be assured that they will be maintained as the implementation of the Windsor Framework continues. At the same time, we will take the powers necessary to apply ‘not for EU’ labelling in the future, if that is required to secure those supplies across the UK internal market.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief on gov.uk.
Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR. Up to around 520 of these are expected to relate to claims for APR (including those that also claim for BPR), and this number falls to around 430 when claims that include AIM shares are excluded.
The Government takes into account all representations made ahead of the Budget, and meets with stakeholders on a regular basis.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief on gov.uk.
Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR. Up to around 520 of these are expected to relate to claims for APR (including those that also claim for BPR), and this number falls to around 430 when claims that include AIM shares are excluded.
The Government takes into account all representations made ahead of the Budget, and meets with stakeholders on a regular basis.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief on gov.uk.
It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR. Up to around 520 of these are expected to relate to claims for APR (including those that also claim for BPR), and this number falls to around 430 when claims that include AIM shares are excluded. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (or those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms.
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland set out in his statement in the House of Commons on 4 December, this Government is committed to addressing the legacy of the Troubles so that society in Northern Ireland can heal from the terrible wounds of the past and look to a better future. This commitment includes delivering on the funding agreed with HM Treasury for the legacy programme, with a total envelope of £250 million. This funding derived from £150 million allocated to implement the Stormont House Agreement and £100 million allocated through the New Decade, New Approach agreement.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
This Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework in good faith and to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market. We are currently considering the best way to take forward the approach referred to in Annex B of the Safeguarding the Union command paper.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Northern Ireland has a thriving hospitality sector and this Government is committed to working with the NI Executive to support sustainable economic growth. The settlement for Northern Ireland in the Budget is the biggest real terms settlement since devolution.
To repair the £22bn black hole inherited by the Government and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance. We recognise the need to protect the smallest employers which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year.
The Government has also been clear that we need to take difficult decisions to deliver long-term stability and growth. Stabilising the public finances is the only way to create long-term stability in which businesses can thrive.
The Government is adopting recommendations of the Low Pay Commission to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour, and increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year-olds by 16.3%. There are estimated to be almost 100,000 minimum wage workers in Northern Ireland in 2023.
The Government ask the independent and expert Low Pay Commission to monitor the effects of the National Living Wage.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Northern Ireland has a thriving hospitality sector, and this Government is committed to working with the NI Executive to support sustainable economic growth. The settlement for Northern Ireland in the Budget is the biggest real terms settlement since devolution.
To repair the £22bn black hole inherited by the Government and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance. We recognise the need to protect the smallest employers which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year.
The Government is adopting recommendations of the Low Pay Commission to increase the National Living Wage by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour, and increasing the National Minimum Wage for 18-20 year olds by 16.3%. There are estimated to be almost 100,000 minimum wage workers in Northern Ireland in 2023.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Executive Office is responsible for taking forward the necessary arrangements to implement the commenced provisions of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 which contains provisions for the establishment of the Castlereagh Foundation. The Government expects the Executive Office will make an announcement in due course regarding next steps on implementation of the legislation. The Government wants to see devolved institutions in Northern Ireland consider the provisions set out under the legislation themselves before any consideration of using or commencing the powers provided for in section 8.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The ‘Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland’ report was published in 2015 by the UK Government in order to provide a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland. This public assessment, which was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks, has not been repeated.
Although it is acknowledged that some individuals engaged in serious criminality may also have ties to former paramilitary Republican organisations, such activity does not present a threat to national security.
The PSNI and UK security agencies continually assess the threat, risk and harm posed by paramilitary, terrorist and organised crime groups to inform the most appropriate operational response. The threat from Northern Ireland Related Terrorism (NIRT) is assessed by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), after MI5 passed over responsibility earlier this year. JTAC keeps the Threat Level in from NIRT under constant review and formally reviews it twice a year. However, the threat is wholly driven by violent Dissident Republicans who reject the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) and not by Groups that support the GFA.
Where any criminality exists, the Government is clear that it should be dealt with fully by the police.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The 2015 assessment was commissioned due to specific concerns. It was a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland and was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks.
The PSNI and security partners continue to work to keep the people of Northern Ireland safe, including continually monitoring the threat from paramilitary and terrorist groups to inform their operational response to these harms.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The ‘Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland’ report was published in 2015 by the UK Government in order to provide a one-off factual assessment from the UK security agencies and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.
The then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Theresa Villiers) made clear at the time that this assessment was commissioned due to specific concerns, and was intended to inform the then ongoing cross-party talks.
The PSNI and UK security agencies continually assess the threat, risk and harm posed by paramilitary, terrorist and organised crime groups to inform the most appropriate operational response.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 recognises Northern Ireland's rich diversity of identity and language, and benefits both Irish language speakers and those from the Ulster Scots and Ulster British tradition. The Government continues to work with the Executive on the implementation of the Act.
Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)