Whitehall has drawn up contingency plans to prevent a constitutional crisis in the event of a hung parliament at the general election.

The move comes as polls indicate that we could emerge from the election with no clear winner.

Under the proposals, parliament may have up to three weeks before reconvening, as opposed to the standard six days, to give the prime minister time to form a coalition government.

For the first time, the civil service will facilitate talks between parties. While they will maintain their political neutrality, and will not offer policy advice, they will be able to advice on potential areas of overlap between the parties.

It has also been widely reported that Gordon Brown could remain prime minister even if the Tories win more seats.

The Guardian reports that senior Whitehall sources say it would be Brown's duty to remain in place until it was clear that there was a successor capable of securing a majority.

The proposals are largely aimed at preventing a run on the pound, as the UK's AAA credit rating is already under threat.