My lords and members of the House of Commons:

My government will sustain economic growth and stability and cut back waste and bureaucracy in government. It will ensure that taxpayers get better value for money and set Britain on a path to lower taxes.

This will enable my government to deliver improvements in key public services and most importantly for schools, hospitals and the fight against crime.

Action on schools and school standards will be an immediate priority for my government. My government is committed to ensuring that schools are run by teachers, not bureaucrats. My government will take immediate measures to cut teachers' paperwork.

Measures will be introduced to give head teachers complete control over exclusions from schools. This will help to restore discipline in classrooms.

A bill will be introduced to give every parent the right to choose the best school for their child. A School Expansion Fund will be established to fund 600,000 additional school places over the next five years.

Measures will be taken to abolish restrictions on the expansion of good schools and the opening of new schools.

Centrally-set targets for schools will be abolished and standards ensured by high quality external examination in which parents, employers and universities can have confidence.

A bill will be introduced to abolish student tuition fees and the Office for Fair Access, and provide more money for universities. This will free students from unmanageable debts and begin to rebuild the independence of academic institutions.

My government is committed to achieving better health of the nation and prompt and effective treatment for all who are ill. A Bill will be introduced to strengthen public health services and to establish a Public Health Commission.

Cleaner hospitals

Within the NHS, increased resources will be accompanied by reform. Measures will be taken immediately to eliminate unnecessary regulation, waste and bureaucracy.

The highest priority will be given to securing cleaner hospitals and a safer environment for patients. A bill will be introduced to remove central directions on hospitals.

Hospitals will be given genuine independence as foundation trusts and made accountable to patients and family doctors, who will exercise the Right to Choose where treatment is provided. A bill will be introduced to raise standards of care for those suffering from mental illness.

Pensions

My government will ensure that every pensioner has dignity in retirement and will address insecurity over future pensions.

Measures will be taken to reduce dependence on means testing by increasing basic pensions.

My government will restore the link between the basic state pension and earnings in annual up-ratings.

My government will aim to restore confidence in saving, reform the social security system and reduce dependence on welfare benefits.

Port security

A bill will be introduced to reform the asylum and immigration system to bring immigration under control and create a fair asylum system that acts firmly and swiftly against abuse, but helps genuine refugees.

Measures will be taken to restore firm control of entry into Britain, including 24-hour surveillance at ports of entry. My government will introduce a points system for immigration. This will ensure that priority is given to people who want to come to Britain to work hard and make a positive contribution to the country.

Measures will be taken to introduce visa rules that forbid switching between categories of entry. This will mean that holiday and student visas cannot be changed to long-stay visas after entry into Britain.

My government will increase vigilance against the threat of international terrorism, strengthen security at home and work with our allies in prosecuting the war against terrorism.

Terror defences

My government will halt plans to cut four infantry battalions from the Army and three ships from the Royal Navy. A minister for homeland security will have sole and undivided responsibility for anti-terrorist and emergency planning.

My government will intensify action against crime. A bill will be introduced to reduce police paperwork and bureaucracy and to enable more police to be deployed on the streets to detect and deter crime.

This will mean that police officers will no longer have to fill a form every time that they stop someone. Sentences will be increased where necessary to punish criminals. My government will build more prisons and provide for the recruitment of an extra 5000 police officers each year.

A bill will be introduced to require drug addicts to choose between immediate compulsory rehabilitation or prosecution and prison. My government will reverse the reclassification of cannabis as a Class C drug.

Home buyers

My government will attach the highest importance to care for our environment. Measures will be introduced to phase out HFCs between 2008 and 2014.

My government will work to extend home ownership. A bill will be introduced to extend the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants and help others who aspire to home ownership to buy a share in a home. This will help more first-time buyers to become homeowners.

My government will substantially reduce bureaucracy. Responsibility for reducing regulation will be given to a senior Cabinet Minister.

There will be a freeze on recruitment and new construction by the civil service and non-departmental public bodies.

The recommendations of the James Committee on reducing bureaucracy will be implemented during this session of Parliament.

A Bill will be introduced to abolish Best Value, Comprehensive Assessment and other wasteful inspection regimes in local government. My Government will insist on fair treatment of all road users. An audit will be conducted of speed cameras to enable removal of those that are sited to raise money and which do not enhance road safety.

Members of the House of Commons: Estimates for the Public Services will be laid before you.

Europe

My lords and members of the House of Commons.

My government will continue to play an active part in the European Union and will affirm the right of each member state to proceed to further institutional change if they so desire and in a manner of their own choosing.

My government opposes ratification of the EU constitutional treaty and will provide an early opportunity for the British people to vote in a referendum on whether they wish to adopt the EU constitution in the United Kingdom.

My government will inform other EU governments that the United Kingdom will retain the pound. No public money will be spent on campaigning for the euro.

No public body will be required to prepare for adoption of the euro.

My government will work for a strong partnership between Europe and the United States, but will not agree to participate in any action that would undermine NATO.

My government will open negotiations for the return of powers over aspects of our national life from Brussels to Britain.

My lords and members of the House of Commons: I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.