Agenda

Notes that Council passed a notice of motion on 13 December 2023 recognising the importance of holding out a hand to those outwith our direct area.  It called for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine/Israel, and for urgent humanitarian relief for the citizens of Gaza.

Since then, nine months have passed and tens of thousands more civilians have died.  In March 2024 the United Nations Special Rapporteur found that “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide…has been met.” In July 2024, the prestigious medical journal The Lancet stated that “it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186,000  [7.9% of the total population in the Gaza strip] or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza”.  Later in July, the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' highest court, ruled that “Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful” and that Israel “is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible” and “is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, and to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory”.

This Council reaffirms its place as part of the common family of humanity, and:

1.               Reiterates our call for a permanent ceasefire;

2.               Calls on the Lord Provost to fly the Palestinian Flag on 29 November 2024, International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People;

3.               Follows Barcelona and other cities and instructs the Chief Officer - Governance to report to Council by the end of 2024 on any direct or indirect links that Aberdeen City Council have with the State of Israel, with a view to stopping these;

4.               Asks the North East Scotland Pension Fund to commission a study to identify any investments in companies that supply arms to Israel, as these investments may be at high risk due to the political instability;

5.               Recognises the UK Labour Government’s suspension of 30 licences for arms sales to Israel;

6.               Endorses the Scottish Government’s 2024 call for an arms embargo on Israel, and calls for the Scottish Government to act in all its available capacities to help prevent the production and transfer of weapons components for Israel from arms companies in Scotland; and

7.               Instructs the Chief Executive to write to other Scottish Local Authorities informing them of this motion, and encouraging them to take similar actions.

That the Council:

(1)           Notes with regret that new British citizens are not able to bring along guests to group citizenship ceremonies held by Aberdeen City Council;

(2)           Understands that group ceremonies are held approximately every 3 weeks in the Grant Room at Marischal College to meet demand, yet individuals’ guests cannot routinely attend and need to wait outside due to capacity in the Grant Room, unless they book a private ceremony;

(3)           Is aware from Officers that refreshments are no longer provided due to concerns over cost and waste, yet notes the cost is £3.50 per head for tea, coffee and biscuits plus £50 delivery fee per event, and considers this is a small cost as part of welcoming new citizens in Aberdeen;

(4)           Considers not allowing guests at group ceremonies nor providing refreshments is a penny-pinching attitude, which fails to properly respect and promote the effort to become a British citizen and presents an unnecessarily unwelcoming attitude to new citizens;

(5)           Recognises the contribution of naturalised Brits and believes the small expenditure on recognising their citizenship represents value for money for the City of Aberdeen;

(6)           Therefore, directs the Chief Officer - People and Citizen Service from 2025/26 to:

(a)   reinstate refreshments of tea, coffee, water and biscuits and provision for any other dietary requirements to ensure inclusion;

(b)   allow citizenship applicants to invite two guests to group citizenship ceremonies;

(c)    change the room as required to meet the required increased capacity;

(7)           Confirms that any expenditure (estimated by Officers to be in the region of £5,000 per annum) and loss of income (estimated by Officers to be in the region of up to £20,000 per annum) associated with this change will be referred to the 2025/26 Budget process.”

That the Council:

(1)           Notes with concern that the “A” Listed Building Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, latterly known as Woolmanhill Hospital, has fallen into a state of disuse; and

(2)           Instructs the Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning to:-

(a)   identify the current owners;

(b)   contact the owners to seek assurances in respect of making the buildings safe, secure, and watertight in the first instance;

(c)   ascertain what are the owners’ plans and timescales for the redevelopment of the site in a manner compatible with its “A” listed status;

(d)   identify the enforcement powers available to the Council should the owners fail to co-operate;

(e)   seek the support and advice of Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Government and the King’s Trust in relation to the restoration of what is a building of national importance; and

(f)    report to the relevant committee(s) in relation to the instructions within no more than two meeting cycles.”