Her Majesty's most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament : delivered on Wednesday, 26th November, 2003

The Queen's Speech outlines the Government's legislative programme for the coming session of Parliament.

The Government is committed to economic stability and growth, public services reform, greater opportunity and social justice, enhanced security and protection, constitutional reform and educational reform.

Measures will include: legislation concerning tuition fees for students, National Health Service reform, a bill to provide all children born from September 2002 with a Child Trust Fund, pensions reform, a bill on the registration of civil partnerships between same sex couples, disabilities law reform, asylum and immigration law reform, and a draft bill on a national identity cards scheme. Other measures will include: establishment of a Children's Commissioner for England, reform of the Criminal Defence Service, counter-terrorism legislation, regulation of retention of human tissues after death, establishment of a Supreme Court and abolition of the office of Lord Chancellor, a draft bill enabling a referendum on the adoption of the single currency, reform of the law relating to traffic flows and road works, establishment of a Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, modernisation of the law on company accounting and audit arrangements, a bill creating Community Interest Companies, and a draft Bill on charity law