Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps she has taken to support diaspora communities in the UK seeking to send remittances abroad to have access to transparent transaction costs in relation to those remittances.

The Government has taken steps to improve transparency in the remittance sector, not just in the UK but globally. We co-lead with the Swiss Government with the support of multilateral organisations on the Global Call to Action to keep remittances flowing and to improve transparency in the sector.

The department is working closely HM Treasury to improve transparency in the sector. In the UK, we have worked cross Government to develop communication lines to encourage the diaspora community to use digital channels and to review the different options available before sending funding.

We are working with industry associations and leading remittance service providers on how best to improve transparency in the sector and are reviewing the key lessons from other development agencies who have sought to improve transparency in remittances in their countries.

We understand the need for remitters to be well informed (especially about the cost of sending money abroad) and are working towards solutions that are sustainable, effective and represent good value for money.