There has been a lot of debate in letters to the Standard about how to fund the NHS. Here is yet another opinion - let’s cancel the replacement of Trident.

The concept of Trident was to protect us from the threat of communist invasion. But we have made peace with China, and have to buy oil and gas from Russia and the Middle East.

Trident nuclear missiles cannot be used against terrorists or cyber criminals. They were of no value in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The Government says four new nuclear submarines are budgeted at £31 billion with £10 billion contingency.

In addition, to the submarines, Rolls-Royce are contracted to design and develop new nuclear power plants for Trident submarines, while the UK is borrowing £billions from China to design and build nu- clear power stations.

Instead of borrowing from China, why don’t we use the money budgeted for Trident Successor submarine nuclear power plants for our own electricity generation?

I can’t find published costs for the American made missiles, the bombs developed at Aldermaston, Uranium Isotope separation, and costs of decommissioning old bombs at Sellafield.

The NHS costs £200 billion a year, so the savings from cancelling Trident replacements would make a difference.

As well as cost savings, the Trident programme employs thousands of really talented scientists and engineers who could be employed on making things that could improve everybody’s lives.

The French Government turned their Atomic Weapons Laboratories (the CEA) to peaceful activities soon after they tested their first nuclear weapons roughly 20 years ago.

Some of these French scientists are working on better medical scanners, others are working on better radiotherapy machines called proton therapy.

The French health system has these improved systems working and saving lives now.

The NHS cannot afford such improved machines.

Why wouldn’t we turn our swords into scalpels as well?

Jon Howorth

Victoria Road, Maldon