The majority of MPs voted to maintain the UK's minimum strategic nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the existing system.

MPs were considering the following motion:

• That this House
• supports the Government's decisions, as set out in the White Paper The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994), to take the steps necessary to maintain the UK's minimum strategic nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the existing system and to take further steps towards meeting the UK's disarmament responsibilities under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In this vote majority of MPs voted against changing the above motion supporting the Government's nuclear weapons policy to one which read.^[1]

• This House
• notes the Government's decision, as set out in the White Paper The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994),^[2] to take the steps necessary to maintain the UK minimum strategic nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the existing system and to take further steps towards meeting the United Kingdom's disarmament responsibilities under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,^[3]
• but believes that the case is not yet proven and remains unconvinced of the need for an early decision.

The Government's original motion, still intact, was subsequently voted for by a majority of MPs.^[4]

Seven MPs voted inconsistently between the two motions.^[5]

• [1] John Trickett MP, House of Commons, 14 March 2007
• [2] The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent, December 2006
• [3] Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Second Pillar, Wikipedia
• [4] Trident Replacement - Maintain nuclear deterrent beyond existing system, House of Commons, 14 March 2007
• [5] Comparison of Trident Replacement votes, House of Commons, 14 March 2007

The majority of MPs voted to maintain the UK's minimum strategic nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the existing system.

The majority of MPs voted for the motion:^[1]

• This House
• supports the Government's decisions, as set out in the White Paper The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994),^[2] to take the steps necessary to maintain the UK's minimum strategic nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the existing system and to take further steps towards meeting the UK's disarmament responsibilities under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.^[3]

This followed a previous vote against asserting that the case was "not yet proven",^[4] and was recognized as Parliamentary authorization for the development of a new generation of submarines and launch vehicles for the deployment of ballistic nuclear weapons against targets unknown.^[5][6]

• [1] Margaret Beckett MP, House of Commons, 14 March 2007
• [2] The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent, December 2006
• [3] Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Second Pillar, Wikipedia
• [4] Trident Replacement - Case not yet proven - rejected, House of Commons, 14 March 2007
• [4] Trident Plan wins Commons support, BBC News, 15 March 2007
• [5] British replacement of the Trident system, Wikipedia

*Pressure of other work means MPs or Lords are not always available to vote – it does not always indicate they have abstained. Therefore, being absent on a less important vote makes a disproportionatly small difference.