A communications device acting as a rely device is configured to transmit a buffer status report message indicating that the buffer is storing data received from the infrastructure equipment for transmission to a remote communications device, when predetermined conditions are satisfied or a trigger event occurs so that the transmission of the data to the remote communications device can make more efficient use of communications resources to transmit the data or the remote communications device receives the data when the remote communications device is in a state in which it should receive the data, for example when not in a reduced power state.