BBC Scotland's David Porter reports on the proceedings

Donald Gorrie is among the critics of the plan to move from temporary accommodation on The Mound in Edinburgh to a new building being constructed at Holyrood.

Costs are now estimated at £109m and concern among some MSPs led to a debate, allowing both sides to be aired.

Donald Gorrie: Holyrood critic

First Minister Donald Dewar spoke in favour of the move and was followed later by Mr Gorrie, a list MSP for Central Scotland, who said: "It is a choice today.

"We can either live in a benevolent despotism, where one man says what happens and we all follow him or we can live in a mature democracy, a parliamentary democracy.

"The question is, are we men and women or are we sheep?"

Mr Dewar said the Holyrood site was at the centre of "one of Europe's great mediaval cities".

Donald Dewar: "Building for the future"

"It gave us an opportunity, it seemed to me, to challenge the challenge of creating empathy with feeling, a 21st century building which can be a gfrom our time to future generations," he told MSPs.

The Scottish National Party and the Conservatives want the postponement to allow further assessment of the scheme by a special committee.

The parliament's cross-party corporate body froze all new contracts for 10 days and called for Thursday's debate to be held.

A BBC Scotland poll of 112 of the 129 MSPs revealed 68 want the work on the new site to proceed, 10 MSPs said they want to stay at the Assembly Hall, two declined to answer and 32 were either unsure or did not like either site.

Tuition fees

MSPs are also debating the issue of student tuition fees.

John Swinney, SNP, and George Lyon, Lib Dem, debate the fees on Good Morning Scotland

The SNP and Tories have condemned the Lib Dems for entering into a coalition without winning their stated election aim of an end to the fees.

But Mr Dewar defended the implementation of the fees.

He said: "We've had appeals from higher education, right across the board, from the principals and vice-chancellors through to the National Union of Students and Association of University Teachers all saying 'take your time, get it right'.

"That's responsible government and I'm determined to lead a responsible administration that acts in the interests of Scotland."

Tuition fees are back in the limelight

Scottish Tory education spokesman Brian Monteith promised a challenging debate on the issue and said the Scottish Administration's planned review of student finance should instead focus on "student hardship".

"The Scottish Tories fought the election campaign on an uncompromising platform opposing tuition fees.

"We are entirely committed to removing this burden from Scotland's students and to this end we shall maintain the pressure on the Scottish Administration to abolish them.

"The Liberal Democrats have sold out their earlier election commitment to support us on this issue."