Britain has questioned claims that its closest European military allies have held talks about how to defend the North Atlantic in the absence of the Royal Navy.
Reports today suggested France convened talks with Italy, Spain and the Netherlands on how to plug gaps left by the absence of working British warships, in the face of growing Russian belligerence.
But it later emerged that the UK was represented at the talks in Paris by a senior flag officer.
Ministers are already under immense pressure to increase funding for the Armed Forces and speed up the building of warships after a year of embarrassment.
It included HMS Dragon taking three weeks to get to the eastern Mediterranean after RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus was hit by a Shahed-136 drone in March.
It meant that European nations including Greece and France had to step in in the meantime.
Tory shadow defence minister Ben Obese-Jecty said it was 'absolutely damning that our European allies feel they can no longer rely upon the Royal Navy’s presence in the North Atlantic'.
Britain sent an rear admiral to talks convened by France with Italy, Spain and the Netherlands on how to plug gaps left by the absence of working British warships
Ministers are already under immense pressure to increase funding for the Armed Forces and speed up the building of warships after a year of embarrassment
'We’re seeing the impact of our inability to fulfil our Standing NATO Maritime Group One commitment this summer.
'The Government urgently needs to adopt our faster frigates plan to accelerate the build of Type 26 and Type 31 frigates.'
The European meeting was first reported by Defence Eye, which said it came ahead of a major defence show in Paris.
It also said talks had been held about the Royal Navy 'borrowing' French ships to help defend British nuclear missile submarines as they enter and leave their UK base in Scotland.
In March the UK had to ask Germany for the use of a warship to keep a major Nato commitment after sending Dragon to the Mediterranean, because no other ships were available.
Berlin deployed the frigate Sachsen with British officers aboard as the flagship of an alliance maritime task group.
At the Budget last week, Chancellor John Healey filled a £4.7billion black hole in the defence investment plan, a blueprint that takes Britain’s defence spending to 2.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027.
He also committed to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 as a step towards meeting Britain’s commitment to Nato to spend 3.5 per cent by 2035.
But the Chancellor said details of where this cash will come from will be left until the spending review, pencilled in for next autumn.
The Sunday Times this weekend reported that workers in Scotland may be placed on a war footing to work double shifts and speed up work on the new Type 31 frigates currently due to enter service in the early 2030s.
It would aim to bring them into service in 2028 along with Type 26 ships.
