The Prime Minister also refused to rule out contributing funds to European Union programmes after Brexit, despite the money paid to Brussels being another major issue in the referendum debate.
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She also refused to commit to increasing the healthcare budget by 100 million pounds a week.
But it was sacked former Conservative Education Secretary Nicky Morgan who pointed out that “two words” were missing from the statement – Single Market and whether the United Kingdom would remain part of it.
May’s concern, apparently, is that a points-based system wouldn’t exclude enough people, because anyone who gets enough points automatically gets in.
Mr Davis insisted there will be no attempt to “delay, frustrate or thwart” the will of the British people for the country to leave the EU.
Such discussions were an “exclusive matter” for the European Union on behalf of its members and “we are sticking to it”, he told reporters.
“They didn’t want free movement to continue as it has done in the past”.
“We were going to hear what the government’s strategy was”, she added.
And he went further than Mrs May’s careful tightrope-walking on the issue, by describing membership of Single Market as “very improbable” without firm restrictions on immigration.
“It has to be said: it’s the mark of an irresponsible government, just as it was the mark of an irresponsible Leave campaign, that we know nothing more about the phrase “Brexit means Brexit”.
However, later, answering questions, Mr Davis did say that Article 50 would not be triggered “until the New Year” – hours after the prime minister declined to confirm that timetable.
“It means getting the best deal for Britain – one that is unique to Britain and not an “off the shelf” solution”.
“I’m optimistic about that, I think we should be ambitious about that, and that’s what I am. I want to actually, let’s do that work, let’s be ambitious about what we can achieve and let’s go out there and work for it”.
Britain’s 27 European Union partners so far have been adamant that it can not enjoy full trade benefits unless it continues to allow in European Union nationals.
Farage may be anxious that May’s insistence on the government being “able to decide” is a way to give herself wiggle room in upcoming negotiations with the EU.
The document, directed at both Britain and the EU, warned that firms are considering moving their European headquarters out of the United Kingdom and said a long period of uncertainty would be damaging.
“I hope this is an issue we can resolve at an early stage”. As for May, she is keeping her cards close to her chest, and hasn’t said what sort of system she would favor instead.
“Theresa’s right to reduce people’s expectations about how quickly we can get a grip of this”.
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“It is very hard to imagine that the Japanese companies and the auto companies will be pulling out in totality from the United Kingdom”, the country’s ambassador, Koji Tsuruoka, told the BBC.
