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18 February 2011
Last updated at 01:05 ET
Britain's arms sales to Bahrain are under urgent review following violence there, the Foreign Office has said.
It said 250 cartridges of tear gas and other riot control equipment had been licensed for export to the Gulf state within the past nine months.
But minister Alistair Burt said there was no evidence UK teargas was used in the military crackdown on protesters.
Four people were killed in Bahrain on Thursday after riot police attacked anti-government demonstrators.
'Human rights abuses'
Britain's arms export licences could be revoked if they are found to have breached UK and EU export criteria.
Mr Burt said: "We closely consider allegations of human rights abuses.
"We will not authorise any exports which, we assess, might provoke or prolong regional or internal conflicts, which might be used to facilitate internal repression, or which would in any other way be contrary to the criteria."
He said "in light of events" he was "formally reviewing recent licensing decisions for exports to Bahrain".
"We will urgently revoke licences if we judge that they are no longer in line with the criteria," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Labour MP Denis MacShane told the Commons governments of all parties had "turned a blind eye to the repression and corruption" of autocratic regimes in the Middle East.
The Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Commons he had stressed the need for peaceful action in dealing with the protesters in a conversation with Bahrain's foreign minister.
The Foreign Office is advising British nationals to stay away from protests and avoid all but essential travel around the island.
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It said 250 cartridges of tear gas and other riot control equipment had been licensed for export to the Gulf state within the past nine months.
But minister Alistair Burt said there was no evidence UK teargas was used in the military crackdown on protesters.
Four people were killed in Bahrain on Thursday after riot police attacked anti-government demonstrators.
'Human rights abuses'
Britain's arms export licences could be revoked if they are found to have breached UK and EU export criteria.
Mr Burt said: "We closely consider allegations of human rights abuses.
"We will not authorise any exports which, we assess, might provoke or prolong regional or internal conflicts, which might be used to facilitate internal repression, or which would in any other way be contrary to the criteria."
He said "in light of events" he was "formally reviewing recent licensing decisions for exports to Bahrain".
"We will urgently revoke licences if we judge that they are no longer in line with the criteria," he added.
Earlier on Thursday, Labour MP Denis MacShane told the Commons governments of all parties had "turned a blind eye to the repression and corruption" of autocratic regimes in the Middle East.
The Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Commons he had stressed the need for peaceful action in dealing with the protesters in a conversation with Bahrain's foreign minister.
The Foreign Office is advising British nationals to stay away from protests and avoid all but essential travel around the island.
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