Defence spending failed to account for the spiralling cost of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, MPs have said.

A report by the public accounts committee into the Ministry of Defence’s spending plans has found that the rising costs of maintaining the nuclear deterrent and submarines risk squeezing budgets for “conventional capabilities”.

It comes after the Government recently published its strategic defence review (SDR), which aimed to show how the Armed Forces will adapt to future battlefields.

It committed to renewing the nuclear deterrent while also spending £40 billion on new equipment for the Army and investing in a sixth-generation fighter.

However, the committee’s report called on the Government to be transparent regarding the “specific cost details in the specific area of nuclear”.