Mr Blair answers a questions about tuition fees

The occasion - which heralds the start of a new parliamentary session - usually takes place in the first two weeks of November.

Downing Street rejected suggestions that this year's later timing was significant.

But Tony Blair knows that his government faces some tough battles over issues like tuition fees for universities.

In the past few weeks the apparent suicide of weapons expert Dr David Kelly and the ensuing Hutton inquiry have also put the government under pressure.

Lord Hutton is due to finish taking evidence on 25 September and is likely to publish his findings later this year.

Mr Blair's official spokesman said the timing of this year's Queen's Speech was within "normal parameters".

Fees row

"It is a judgment that is made looking both at the Queen's diary and also an assessment of how much legislative time is needed for the government's bills," he said.

The next legislative programme is likely to contain plans for reform of the House of Lords and for tuition fees.

At the weekly prime minister's questions on Wednesday Mr Blair insisted that the "vast majority" of MPs would back the government in its plans for funding university education.

But earlier, three out of six questions during a 15-minute appearance by the prime minister in front of the Parliamentary Labour Party came from opponents of tuition fees.

Mr Blair insisted then there was no "cost-free option" although he acknowledged there was a debate in the party about the issue.