David Hughes, PA Political Editor

Spending on the nuclear deterrent and the UK’s special forces should be scrutinised by a new committee of MPs, ministers have been told.

The Commons’ existing spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said a new panel should be established to scrutinise spending in sensitive areas.

The proposed committee could use private evidence sessions and correspondence to examine how billions of pounds are spent on highly classified projects.

The PAC warned there were “scrutiny gaps” where secret projects were not examined by existing panels of MPs and peers.

PAC chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier said: “Parliament must no longer see through a glass darkly on whether value for money is being secured on confidential expenditure.

“There are of course sound reasons why certain areas of spending must be examined in a manner appropriate to their sensitivity.

“Such sensitivity is all the more reason why the processes around its scrutiny should be made robust.

“A new select committee would address the current gaps in how such matters are scrutinised, and the PAC would be pleased to work with the Government to take this proposal forward.”