THE Government has been asked to pick up the bill for the District Auditor's £536,000 bill for the Blobby inquiry.
The city council's finance chief has written to Local Government Minister Hilary Armstrong saying that the increasing costs of the inquiry are crippling the cash-strapped local authority.
Roger Muckle has asked if the Government will grant the council a one-off grant or authorise borrowing to cover the costs or change the law so that central government picks up the tab.
In his letter he tells the minister: "As the District Auditor cannot indicate when he will conclude his investigations the council feels vulnerable and financially exposed. The council feels strongly that the costs of a Public Interest Investigation should not fall on local taxpayers."
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