Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports his Department has received on prison conditions in Bahrain and the withdrawal of prisoners' visiting rights, personal effects and other restrictions.

The Government monitors events in Bahrain closely. When we have concerns on specific issues, including prison conditions, we raise these at an appropriately senior level. We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report these to the relevant human rights oversight bodies. We encourage the Government of Bahrain to deliver on its international and domestic human rights commitments.

The UK's support to Bahrain's reform programme includes strengthening independent oversight bodies such as the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman and the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission which provide oversight of police conduct and detention standards.