Minister Matt Hancock suggests public may have to choose between nuclear weapons and public services

He said the policy could be responsible for Labour running up debts

Matt Hancock appears on BBC Question Time (BBC)

A Cabinet minister has appeared to question whether Britain could continue to afford well-equipped schools and hospitals if it spends money on new nuclear weapons.

Matthew Hancock, the cabinet office minister, was appearing on BBC One’s Question Time programme.

He made the comments after former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone questioned whether the £40bn estimated cost of the Trident nuclear submarines could be better spent on public services.

“We have to reduce our debt but we’re still the fifth richest nation in the world and this week while we’re been told we can’t afford this, we can’t afford that – Cameron’s telling us those four nuclear submarines will cost £40bn,” the veteran Labour politician had argued.

“It’s a question of the choices you make. I’d rather our kids had a better education and that we had more hospital beds than four nuclear submarines.”

Another panellist, comedian Matt Forde, told Mr Livingstone: “I want schools, hospitals, and nuclear submarines.”

But Mr Hancock, who has responsibility for the government's efficiency drives, questioned whether all three priorities would be affordable at once.

“Maybe that’s why we ran up so many debts under Labour,” he told the audience.

On Twitter, Labour MP Wes Streeting commented: “Matt Hancock’s silly throwaway comment to Matt Forde suggested that there isn't money for schools, hospitals and Trident. Unwise.”

Mr Hancock, Mr Forde, and Mr Livingstone appeared on a panel alongside SNP MP Pete Wishart and think-tank researcher Kate Andrews.

The Government recently announced that the estimated cost of Trident would be £40bn.

Independent estimates peg the system's lifetime cost as being significantly higher, however. The independent Trident Commission estimated a cost of around £100bn while the Reuters news agency estimated £167bn based on other official figures.

Labour is currently split on whether to support the system's renewal.