The Green Party motion presented by Patrick Harvie said:

That the Parliament congratulates the majority of Scottish MPs for voting on 14 March 2007 to reject the replacement of Trident and calls on the UK Government not to go ahead at this time with the proposal in the White Paper, The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent.

The Conservative amendment said:

As an amendment to motion (S3M-169) in the name of Patrick Harvie, leave out from "congratulates" to end and insert "notes that defence matters are wholly reserved to Scotland’s other Parliament at Westminster and that on 14 March 2007 a majority of MPs voted for the replacement of Trident".

The Labour amendment said:

As an amendment to motion (S3M-169) in the name of Patrick Harvie, leave out from "congratulates" to end and insert "affirms that defence policy is, and should remain, the responsibility of the UK Parliament".

The Lib Dem amendment said:

As an amendment to motion (S3M-169) in the name of Patrick Harvie, after "Trident" insert "recognises that decisions on matters of defence are matters within the responsibility of the UK Government and Parliament".

A further amendment had been lodged by Elaine Smith (Labour) and supported by 4 other Labour MSPs. The Presiding Officer ruled that this would not be discussed. It had said:

As an amendment to motion (S3M-169) in the name of Patrick Harvie, leave out "at this time".

Before the debate there were two procedural moves. Elaine Smith (Labour) asked the Presiding Officer, Alex Ferguson, to allow her amendment to be debated. He ruled that it would not be taken. George Foulkes (Labour) said to the Presiding Officer that the Parliament should not be debating matters that were devolved. The Presiding Officer pointed out that in the past the practice had been established of holding debate on reserved matters including nuclear weapons.

Patrick Harvie (Green) – moved the motion. Outlined how the Parliament had in the past considered the costs, strategic requirement, role, jobs and international aspects of nuclear weapons. Trident replacement fails even the multilateral case – it is unilateral rearmament. Since the December debate there have been three developments: (1) In January an ICM poll found that 2/3 of Scots opposed Trident renewal; (2) On 14 March a clear majority of Scottish MPs voted against it; (3) The May election has changed the make up of the Parliament. There is a clear majority of MSPs who are opposed to the Government’s proposal. Across the parties there are many who oppose any replacement at all, and others who qualify their opposition to it. The motion is intended to bring a position where the majority in the Parliament are against the Government’s position. If we do then the message from Scotland will be clear – the majority of Scots and their representatives in this Parliament are against the renewal of Trident. This parliament has a voice and can express a view. Local Authorities, many controlled by the Labour Party, have a long tradition of expressing their view on issues such as this. Professor William Walker said at a recent conference: “ there is a unique situation in Scotland. There are nuclear weapons in a land where the mood of the Parliament and of the country is opposed to them. The Parliament has a right to express society’s views. Even if it doesn’t take steps to obstruct nuclear weapons, it can ask questions within the UK. It can raise a voice of dissent from an important new institution within a nuclear weapon state.”

Michael McMahon (Labour) – moved the official Labour Amendment. Labour do not intend to waste Parliamentary time on a debate of this nature.

Murdo Fraser (Conservative) – moved the Conservative Amendment. Shared many platforms with Labour candidates during the election and none of them spoke up in favour of Trident. We have on many occasions in the past had debates on reserved issues. I have no problem with debating this. So long as others have nuclear weapons we should retain them.

Mike Rumbes (Lib Dem) - moved the Lib Dem Amendment. It is important to be able to debate this subject. I cannot personally see any circumstance where the use of nuclear weapons could ever be justified. This is an important issue for every individual and MSP in Scotland. The Lib Dem party position is that real progress should be made on multilateral disarmament. What is entirely wrong is pressing for renewing our independent nuclear deterrent. Want to congratulate the MPs who opposed this. The proper place for the decision rests with the UK Parliament.

Bruce Crawford (SNP) – There is a clear majority against a new generation of weapons of mass destruction.

George Faulkes (Labour) – Does he not find it demeaning to find the Parliament holding this debate.

Bruce Crawford (SNP) – I find it demeaning that people like you try to put this place in a box and constrain it from what it wants to do. It's our intention to hold a summit with key stakeholders to agree a joint position against Trident, to get the best ideas and proposals for an alliance of people across Scottish life who are opposed to the son of Trident.

Jackie Baillie (Labour) – I will defend absolutely the right of peaceful protest. The actions of Faslane 365 have caused severe disruption. The SNP support Faslane 365.

Sandra White (SNP) – Trident is a weapon of mass destruction, evil and has no place in a civilised society. It is immoral and dishonest to sign up to the Non Proliferation of Trident and to renew Trident. It is also dishonest to say it will cost 11,000 jobs. We can do much with the powers at our disposal. We could be an observer at the Non Proliferation Treaty. Our decision today will have a great impact on Westminster and the rest of the world.

John Park (Labour) – Former worker at Rosyth and Faslane. Paid tribute to the thousands of workers who had been employed at Rosyth and Faslane. If the contract had been awarded to Rosyth in 1993 there would be far more jobs. Malcolm Rifkind decided to move the refits to the South West.

Bill Butler (Labour) – Are you aware that the STUC is against Trident renewal now or at any time.

John Park (Labour) – Yes. The STUC carried out a very good piece of research with CND. I have had more correspondence from constituents on road tolls than Trident.

Bill Kidd (SNP) – This is a historic day when we can hammer the nail in the coffin of Britain’s Weapon of Mass Destruction. There is a consensus which reflects the view of the majority of Scottish people.

Jim Tolson (Lib Dem) – Spent decades working on Trident and Polaris. I no longer feel that a fleet of submarines with intercontinental ballistic missiles is needed to defend the rights of our people at home and abroad.

Christina McKelvie (SNP) – It is like saying we should all be carrying a knife to avoid being attacked by a knife. Defence may be reserved but morality, decency and commons sense are not. We have the opportunity to say that nuclear weapons have no place in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm (Labour) – The alliance against the renewal of Trident is bigger and wider than at any point since the Second World War. Struck by the number of people who have changed their mind – Michael Portillo, Michael Antram, Henry Kissinger, Lord Brammell. The NPT is crucial to this debate, the treaty is a bargain between the nuclear and non-nuclear states.

Elaine Smith (Labour) – The motion as it stands is not anti-Trident, but is party political posturing. Trident should never be replaced, not at this time, not at any time.

Summing up speeches:

Ian Smith (Lib Dem) – We reject the reasoning in the White Paper. The decision does not need to be taken until 2014. We should take our nuclear weapons to the table at the NPT in 2010. We do not believe Britain should be renewing Trident. Parliament is entitled to debate the issue, to express a view but not to make the decisions.

Jackson Carlaw (Conservative) – We do not want a repetition of the nonsense of local authority debates on nuclear free bin bags.

Michael McMahon (Labour) – In an independent Scotland Trident would be relocated and the Scottish Parliament would have no more say that the Irish Government.

Linda Fabiani (SNP) – We should debate this again and again until the 2/3rds of Scots are given the right to reject nuclear weapons on this floor. This Parliament has a proud record of debates and votes on matter that are not devolved. Jack McConnell brought issues to the Parliament – dawn raids on asylum seekers, the treatment of the Black Watch. We are not a Parish Council we are a Parliament.

Robin Harper (Green) – I support Faslane 365. I you wish me to help in mediation I am willing to do this. This motion is clearly anti-Trident. I would not wish to be a silent and willing accessory to the decision of the House of Commons. This is not about devolved settlement but an international concern. Scotland should be renowned for its peaceful interests, not for weapons of mass destruction. Bertram Russell said – “remember your humanity and forget the rest”.