LONDON -- Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled a controversial measure for a national identity card embedded with the bearer's biological data, one of 45 new laws proposed as the British Parliament reopened yesterday following the hotly contested election earlier this month.

Tony Blair

Returned to power for a third term, but with a severely reduced majority, Blair's Labour Party government presented its program in a speech that was read amid traditional pomp by Queen Elizabeth II in her role as head of state.

The prime minister, who has ruled out leading his party into another election, is believed to be trying to complete his historic legacy in this term. He said he wants his government to continue its ambitious social reforms while fostering a "culture of respect" for law and responsibility among the British people.

With many people believing that rude behavior is on the upswing in cities and towns, Blair told Parliament during later debate on the speech: "It is time to reclaim the streets for the decent majority."

He stressed issues ranging from education, social services and security and immigration on the domestic front to the European Constitution, the war on terrorism and global climate change in foreign relations.

The ceremony saw the queen, in regal white gown and wearing her imperial crown, and the Duke of Edinburgh, resplendent in gold-braided naval uniform, arrive in a gilded horse-drawn coach for the ceremonial opening of Parliament -- the only time by custom that the ruling monarch is permitted into the legislative building.

Blair's hopes to have all his government's bills passed depends on whether he can count on full support within his own party, including the 30 to 40 Labour members of Parliament who opposed his alliance with the United States in the war on Iraq. Labour has 354 seats in the 645-member Parliament.

The queen opened the speech by building on the Labour Party's main strength: the economy. She then announced that the government would address "legislation in key areas of public service delivery: education, health, welfare and crime."

Among the most discussed issues are proposals for ID cards, tightened control systems for immigrants and asylum seekers, stronger and wide-ranging anti-terrorism laws and the outlawing of "incitement to religious hatred."

Home Secretary Charles Clarke reintroduced with some changes the proposed identity card bill, defeated in the last Parliament, in an effort to crack down on credit-card and identity fraud, theft and illegal employment and immigration.

The proposal, which has the support in principle of the opposition Conservative Party, would call on each British citizen to carry a card with "biometric" data, including fingerprints and personal details that would also be stored in a national identity database.

Critics from the Liberal Democrat Party call the bill intrusive. The measure is "contrary to principle, contrary to the constitutional history of this country [and] a momentous change which, once made, will never be reversed. That is why it should be regarded with the greatest scrutiny," Menzies Campbell, a senior figure of the Liberal Democrats, said during a Sky TV debate.

Other proposals included tightening up of regulations on immigrant workers and asylum seekers, introducing a points system for those seeking work in the Britain and strengthening border controls.