The charities argue the parts can be reassembled into weapons

A dramatic rise in sales to these nations undermines the government's own ethical policies, say the charities Oxfam, Amnesty International and Iansa.

The Foreign Office rejected the conclusions of the charities' report.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the rise in sales was because production lines now operated internationally, but checks were as rigorous as ever.

Parts worries

Questioned by MPs about arms exports, Mr Straw also gave details of a review which could see the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

It would examine the Chinese human rights situation and whether the European arms control code had overtaken the embargo.

Mr Straw said it was an open question whether the review would be complete by the summer.

The charities say parts made in the UK are reaching countries to which the sale of complete weapons systems is banned.

They say these include Zimbabwe, Israel, Indonesia, Uganda, Colombia, Nepal and the Philippines.

Component licences 1998: 1,600 granted 2002: 18,948 granted Figures taken from Lock, Stock, and Barrel report Arms sales and the law

Once abroad the components, ranging from gun barrels to guidance systems, could easily be assembled into completed systems by regimes involved in military conflicts and abuses of human rights, says the report, entitled Lock, Stock, and Barrel.

"We are concerned that weaker standards of licensing of these items, especially given their increased prominence in the export market, create a dangerous new loophole that will allow UK-provided arms components to contribute to suffering around the world," it states.

It accuses the government of putting the interests of the defence industry ahead of concerns about human rights abuses.

There was particular concern about small arms, with the number of licences issued for the export of assault rifle components alone rising from 10 in 1998 to 41 in 2002, including 23 "open" licences which allow multiple shipments.

'Loophole'

Oxfam policy director Justin Forsyth said the government was putting lives at risk by setting up "false and dangerous double standards".

Licenses for assault rifle components 1998: 10 granted 2002: 41 granted Figures taken from Lock, Stock, and Barrel report

"These aren't simply nuts and bolts we're selling," he said.

"These components include firing mechanisms, bomb making equipment, guidance systems and gun barrels.

"Whether a machine gun comes in pieces or ready made, the suffering it can cause in the wrong hands is just the same."

Foreign office minister Baroness Symons said it was "simply not the case" that the government was allowing arms to be sold through a loophole.

"We take full account of what the components might be used for...We simply would not issue a licence where there was an unacceptable risk of it being misused or diverted," she said.

Industry's prosperity

Mr Straw also defended licences given for components when he was questioned by the Commons Quadripartite Committee.

"This may be an uncomfortable decision for some people but the country has made a strategic decision on an all party basis that this country has a defence industry, with controls in place, and it has to prosper," he said.

"There is a reality that the international defence industry has become more internationalised."

Mr Straw argued there was a difference between licensing full military equipment and providing parts for things like ejector seats and anti-fire systems, which were not dangerous.

He also denied the government was "turning a blind eye" to the use of British products by the Indonesian military against separatists in the province of Aceh.

His officials said there was no evidence of British built equipment in such activities in Aceh.