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Motion A - Plight of the Ukrainian People
 
Councillor Mark Healey proposed
the recommendations which were seconded by Councillor Henry
Hobhouse.
 
Having been duly proposed and
seconded, the Council RESOLVED to:
·      
Note that as a result of the ongoing conflict over 1
million Ukrainians had been forced to leave the country fleeing the
conflict, and that many of those people who had remained in the
country were facing a humanitarian crisis.
·      
Stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian
people against Putin’s illegal invasion along with their
friends and relatives here in Somerset.
·      
Note Somersets proud record of supporting refugees
fleeing from Afghanistan, Syria and many other conflicts, helping
them to settle in Somerset.
 
Full Council therefore
would:
·      
Continue to provide support locally to Ukrainian
refugees, working in collaboration with the local voluntary and
community sector.
·      
Call on Government to continue to provide essential
aid to Ukraine by sending a letter to the Prime Minister from the
Chair of Council.
 

Supplemental Note in relation to Motion
B:
 
On 23 April 2024, Somerset Council voted on a
motion in respect of a commercial investment property it owns at
600 Aztec West.  That motion included a statement that
“the tenant Elbit UK [is] a major UK based provider
of weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces, used in the current
Gaza catastrophe“.
 
Elbit Systems UK Limited have contacted us to
say this is factually incorrect
and they do not supply weapons or military equipment to the
Israeli Defence Forces or the Israeli Ministry of
Defence.
 
The Council would like to apologise and withdraw
the statement that Elbit Systems UK Limited supplies military
equipment to the Israeli Defence Forces or the Israeli Ministry of
Defence.

 

 

 

 
 
 
Motion B - Council Property Investment
 
Councillor Brian Smedley
proposed the recommendations which were seconded by Councillor
Shane Collins.
 
Having been duly proposed and
seconded, the Council RESOLVED to:

·      
Note, that in the light of calls for an end of UK
Arms sales to Israel, Somerset Council had been reviewing its
interest in the Aztec West property in its commercial portfolio
with a view to immediately disposing of the property or securing a
means to legally evict the tenant Elbit UK, a major UK based
provider of weapons to the Israeli Defence Forces, used in the
current Gaza catastrophe.

·      
Explore all ways of legally evicting Elbit UK or
otherwise, to dispose of the property;

·      
Ensure that moral and ethical considerations are
fully appraised in addition to financial advantage in any future
commercial property investments for yield.