Across the world there are 2.5 billion people with no access to formal financial services. In the UK, thirteen per cent of households with an income below £10,000 are without a bank account, compared with 5 per cent of all households.

Financial inclusion has become a major policy concern. Many initiatives exist under the auspices of different government departments and statutory bodies. In addition, the voluntary and private sectors are crucial to providing services to financially excluded groups. The religious authorities are now very much involved with such bodies as the Archbishop’s Task Group on Responsible Credit and Savings helping pull together a national network of churches, communities and credit unions and taking on the payday lenders.

The purpose of this conference will be to take stock of the progress that has been made so far in promoting financial inclusion, and to examine the next moves forward, throughout the United Kingdom, internationally and in SME and trade finance. There will also be a session devoted to the role of digital and mobile technologies.

They will examine the following questions: 

• Why are they important and what are the implications for financial inclusion?
• What is the evidence? 
• What could banks do themselves to help address the problems identified? 
• What can they do indirectly/in partnership with others?  
• What should be left to non-bank alternatives? 
• What can regulators/politicians do?