An independent Scotland would not have to renegotiate 14,000 international treaties, the UK Government has admitted.

But the Foreign Office warned the figure could still be in the thousands.

Last month a report by the UK Government said Britain had signed up to 14,000 treaties worldwide and implied that an independent Scotland could face discussions over many of them with other countries.

SNP MP Mike Weir said: "The UK Government has been caught out – this is farcical scaremongering. They have absolutely no idea how many treaties are even relevant".

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The UK has one of the most developed treaty frameworks in the world as a result of its global role."