Why submarines lay mines through torpedo tubes

Could removable missile-tube inserts also be used for minelaying?

A mine-carrying insert is conceivable; the preferred alternatives use submarine torpedo tubes or aircraft to avoid diverting an SSBN or SSGN.

A removable missile-tube insert could be designed to carry mines. The objection is the use of a scarce strategic or guided-missile submarine for a job that other platforms can perform. An attack submarine can lay mines through its torpedo tubes, and a diesel-electric boat is another option raised in the exchange. Air delivery provides a further alternative. The disagreement concerns which platform to allocate, rather than whether a missile-tube mine dispenser is physically conceivable.