Senedd Members vote in favour of Covid passes for nightclubs and large events

Covid passes will be needed to enter nightclubs and large events after Senedd Members voted for its compulsory introduction.

The vote, which happened on Tuesday, October 5, was won with 28 members for and 27 against.

The tight margin proved controversial after Conservative Senedd Member Gareth Davies could not vote remotely via Zoom because of a technical issue.

From Monday, October 11, people will be expected to show evidence of either being fully vaccinated or having a recent negative Covid test.

The Welsh Conservatives said: “A number of members across political groups experienced technical difficulties with the voting system this evening, which demonstrates why the hybrid Parliament in Wales must come to an end.

“We reaffirm our view that such significant votes should be held in person on the floor of the Senedd and Welsh Conservatives remain steadfastly opposed to the introduction of Covid passports.”

Presiding Officer, Elin Jones, later said in a statement: “I gave every opportunity for the member to be present – including providing ICT support – but the member was unable to be contacted.

“For members to vote in the Senedd, they must be present, either in the chamber or on Zoom.

“It is a member’s responsibility to give themselves sufficient time to secure their Zoom connection in time for voting, just as it is for any member travelling to the Senedd to vote.”

The Night Time Industries Association, which represents around 100 venues in Wales, said the passes would be a “significant barrier” to venue operators and called for a new vote.

In a statement it said: “It is a democratic outrage that one MS who wanted to vote and who would have voted against the proposals, could not due to a mere technical error.”

Announcing the plans for the pass last month, First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “The last thing we want is further lockdowns and for businesses to have to close their doors once again. That’s why we must take small but meaningful action now to control the spread of the virus and reduce the need for tougher measures later.

“We have high levels of the virus in our communities and while our fantastic vaccination programme has helped stop thousands more people from becoming seriously ill or dying, the pressure on the NHS is increasing.

“We hope introducing the requirement to show a Covid pass will help keep venues and events – many of which have only recently started trading again – open.

“We want to do everything we can to Keep Wales Safe as we head into the autumn.”

People who are fully vaccinated can already download the NHS Covid Pass to prove their vaccination status. It also allows people to show they have had a negative lateral flow test result within the last 48 hours.

NHS Covid passes have already been used at a number of large events in Wales, such as the Green Man Festival, which was held near Crickhowell, Powys, in August.