The government must keep its promises on corruption to tackle global poverty, said a local MP in a special debate in Parliament.

Catherine McKinnell, the MP for Newcastle North and the co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Anti-Corruption, called the debate to mark UN Anti Corruption Day, to challenge ministers on their commitment to fighting corruption – following a promise from David Cameron to put transparency at the heart of his international agenda.

“In Africa alone, the cost of corruption has been estimated at nearly £100 billion a year – or £3,000 a second”, said Ms McKinnell in the debate. “In one country, a recent report showed a difference of $800 million between what companies said they paid to the government and what the government said they received. Money lost through corruption could make a huge difference to essential public services like healthcare and education, and our government needs to play its part in ensuring money gets to where it is needed.

“2013 is an opportunity to make real progress. As chair of the G8 and co-chair of the Open Government Partnership, the UK will have a unique chance to harness the energy and commitment of governments, the private sector and citizens to ensure that resources are used to tackle poverty. With the right leadership, the UK can play a leading role in clamping down on corruption for good.”

Ms McKinnell’s call was backed by Christian relief and development agency Tearfund, who support the All Party Group. Tearfund has been calling on the government to beef up the role of its official anti-corruption champion, currently former Justice Minister Ken Clarke. The anti-corruption APPG recently wrote to the Prime Minister regarding this issue, and while the Prime Minister reconfirmed that Mr Clarke will remain Anti-Corruption Champion, we are yet to see further details.

 “This role still seems to lack clarity and after the summer’s reshuffle we have heard little more about it”, said a Tearfund spokesperson. “The Prime Minister needs to reassure campaigners that he will stick to his promise and form a strong cross government strategy to tackle corruption at home and overseas.”