NO 10 has insisted the UK Government is engaged in "good planning" and taking "sensible precautions" in case there is a no-deal Brexit but it has firmly denied the Army is on standby for such a scenario.

Asked if Theresa May would continue to lead the country if her negotiations failed and the UK crashed out of the EU, her spokesman said she was "fully committed to delivering on the will of the British people".

UK ministers have confirmed efforts to stockpile medicines and ensure an "adequate" food supply if there is a no-deal Brexit. The Scottish Government has also indicated it is considering contingency plans should Britain face a cliff-edge Brexit.

However, Brexiteers have criticised the approach, insisting that, while preparations must be made to show Brussels that the UK could cope without a deal, the plans should not mark a return to the referendum campaign's "Project Fear".

One Cabinet source was quoted as saying: “It is designed by No 10 to do the opposite of what Brexiteers want. We could have made a strong case for no-deal and said we were prepared. The way they are presenting it makes it look like Armageddon.

“It is a kamikaze approach to no-deal. The truth is it’s total chaos. They are deliberately trying to make no-deal look bad.”

He added: “It’s a fallacy to say it will be a total disaster. It won’t. We need to highlight the risk for the European Union, the negatives for them.”

Dozens of technical notices setting out what businesses and concerned citizens need to do are expected to be published in August and September.

The Prime Minister's spokesman denied there had been a delay in publication, saying: “There is no delay. The PM said they would be published in August and September and that is what is going to happen.”

He went on: "We have been absolutely clear that it's in the interests not just of ourselves but the EU to get a deal. In the event of no-deal there will of course be consequences for the European Union."

The spokesman declined to say if there were specific reports being compiled to highlight what the effects of a no-deal Brexit would have on the individual EU27 countries but added that the Whitehall plans were aimed at ensuring an "orderly" Brexit even if there was no agreement with Brussels.

"We are working towards getting a deal but the Prime Minister is clear that we will put in place all the necessary steps to ensure the UK has a bright future."

Asked whether the food industry was aware it was supposed to be leading work on ensuring an adequate supply post-Brexit, the spokesman said: "There have been discussions with all sectors of business since the Brexit process began."

But the spokesman denied weekend reports that the military had been put on standby to deal with a no-deal scenario, saying there were "no plans to involve the Army in this".

Mrs May and her husband Philip are on holiday in the Italian Lakes, leaving her de facto deputy David Lidington as the senior Government figure “minding the shop” in the UK.

Downing St defended ministers taking holidays despite the tense state of the Brexit talks, saying: "The Prime Minister and other ministers are always fully engaged with their briefs.”