Amidst growing pressure to amend its travel advice to Sri Lanka which was deemed "overly harsh", the United Kingdom has defended its decision and said it would continue to keep the island nation's travel advise under close review.

Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon told Parliament that the safety of British citizens is paramount when formulating travel advisories for all countries, including Sri Lanka.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon said: "The safety of British people is the main factor when determining our travel advice for all countries, including Sri Lanka."

He was responding to the question, whether the UK government has any plans to update the travel advice to Sri Lanka to reflect the security situation in that country.

The travel advisory for Sri Lanka is currently based on a comprehensive analysis of potential risks to British nationals.

Lord Ahmad said that the Sri Lanka travel advice remains under close review.