Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

Radio 4,17 Mar 2009,40 mins

The crisis in town hall finances

File on 4 Investigates

Available for over a year

As local authorities struggle to balance the books because of the economic downturn, Allan Urry reports on a crisis in town hall finances. At a time when councils say that they are being forced to lay off thousands of staff, Allan asks why they have been investing a billion pounds of taxpayers' cash in banks which have crashed, with no sign of recovering the money.

Programme Website
More episodes