An emergency Bill that would have powers to postpone this May's Senedd election by up to six months could be introduced.

The Welsh Government is seeking the Senedd’s consent for the Bill to be introduced to ensure the next Senedd election happens safely during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Minister for Housing and Local Government, Julie James, said: “We are also determined to do everything in our power to ensure people can vote when the election takes place.

“However, due to the unpredictable nature of coronavirus, there is significant uncertainty about what the situation will be like in May. That is why we are seeking the Senedd’s consent to introduce an emergency Bill that would give Members of the Senedd the powers necessary to manage the conduct of the election, in order to protect public health."

If consent is given by Members of the Senedd, an emergency Bill would be introduced before the Senedd next week (Wednesday, January 27) to provide a range of measures to adapt and manage the next Senedd election.

As a last resort, it would allow the Senedd election on May 6 to be postponed for up to six months, if the pandemic presents such a serious threat to public health that it is not safe to hold the election at that time.

This would be subject to the agreement of two-thirds of Members of the Senedd. Members would also need to agree a new date for the election.