LEGISLATION is to be put in place to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the next Welsh Assembly Election in 2021, it has been announced.

But plans to increase the number of AMs from 60 to up to 90 have been put on hold - for now.

In December last year an independent report recommended a series of reforms to Welsh Assembly Elections, including lowering the voting age to 16 and expanding the number of AMs by up to 30.

And now the National Assembly for Wales Commission has announced it will introduce legislation lowering the voting age as well as changing the name of the Assembly to the Welsh Parliament, or Senedd Cymru.

But a decision has not yet been made on increasing the number of AMs, with more discussion to be carried out with political parties before formal legislation is put forward. The commission, which is responsible for running the Assembly, has said it is not yet clear whether changes will be in place by 2021.

And proposals to allow AMs to job-share have been rejected after 52 per cent of people taking part in a consultation opposing the idea.

Legislation is also planned on changing the system used to elect AMs to the Assembly - although formal details of this are yet to be announced.

A consultation into the proposals showed 59 per cent agreed the voting age should be lowered to 16 years old, while 59 per cent agreed the number of AMs should be increased - with 95 per cent of these saying between 80 and 90 is the ideal number.

Presiding officer Elin Jones said: “Empowering young people to vote at 16 is a powerful statement from the Assembly that we value their views.

"Votes at 16 will have to be accompanied by appropriate political and citizenship education and public awareness-raising to ensure young people are encouraged and supported to exercise their right to vote.” 

She added: “With the ever-increasing pressure and additional responsibilities of this Parliament, it is my view that we need to take action as soon as possible. The only alternative is to accept that our Welsh Parliament will face almost another decade of being underpowered.

“As the Chair of the Expert Panel concludes in the report, the Assembly cannot continue as it is without risking its ability to deliver for the people and communities it serves.

“We now have the opportunity to make our parliament a more effective, accessible and diverse legislature; to forge the national parliament that the people of Wales deserve to champion their interests and hold the Welsh Government to account.”

The report published in December last year said the 40 constituencies in Wales should be cut in half, with each area represented by between four and six AMs.

This would involve merging Newport East and West, along with Monmouth and Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent and Islwyn, while Caerphilly would merge with Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney.

Each of these would be represented by either four or five AMs, except for Blaenau Gwent and Islwyn, which would be represented by four.

Regional AMs would be scrapped entirely.