The Llywydd has announced that the date for the Alyn and Deeside by-election will be Tuesday 6 February 2018 and has written to the Returning Officer asking him to arrange for the poll to take place on that date.
In deciding upon the date, the Llywydd has taken account of the sensitivities of the circumstances which led to the vacancy arising, the practical arrangements for the effective management of the by-election and the impact of the Christmas period on arrangements.
The 6th of February is statutorily the last possible day on which the by-election can take place. Although elections and by-elections, by convention, have taken place on Thursdays, there is no statutory compulsion to do so.
In these circumstances, the Llywydd believes that this decision provides all political parties and candidates with the maximum opportunity to prepare and also enables the local authority to make the necessary arrangements in a timely way.