Local authorities across the UK are facing tough decisions as they try to balance their books in the face of unprecedented funding cuts - with many opting to sell land and buildings to reduce spending and bring in much needed capital.But, one person's white elephant is another's much loved local facility, so the choice of what goes on the market often causes great public resentment.Jenny Chryss visits four local authorities where announcements about asset sales have caused serious questions to be asked. She finds allegations of decisions taken behind closed doors, sums that don't stack up and property that could end up being mothballed for years to come.So are councils getting value for money for their tax payers? Or are they out of their depth when they negotiate with the private sector, especially in one of the harshest property markets for years?And with a major shift in the way councils are audited, is there a danger that mistakes could go unnoticed and unchallenged?Producer: Rob Cave.
Politik
File on 4 Investigates Folgen
News-making original journalism documentary series, investigating stories at home and abroad.
Folgen von File on 4 Investigates
484 Folgen
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Folge vom 18.06.2013Council Asset Sales
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Folge vom 11.06.2013Grooming: A Life Sentence?In the latest high profile grooming trial, 7 men from Oxford will be sentenced later this month for sexually exploiting and raping 6 schoolgirls. Police said the girls - some as young as 12 - were 'abused to the point of torture' for years. One girl was injected with heroin. Another was forced to have a backstreet abortion.The police praised the young women for finding the strength to give evidence against the gang and protect other girls.But, after the legal process ends, what support is there for victims?After a string of such abuse cases around the country, Jane Deith finds there are many young women who say they've been let down by the authorities and are struggling, alone, with mental health problems and difficulties with education and housing.More victims of grooming are being rescued. But does being sexually exploited as a child mean a life sentence?Reporter: Jane Deith Producer: Sally Chesworth.
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Folge vom 04.06.2013Elderly Care: Neglected QuestionsOperation Jasmine was the UK's biggest ever care home abuse investigation.But in January this year proceedings against two key figures in the case collapsed, leaving dozens of families asking if they will ever get justice.While relatives demand a public inquiry into what happened in the six Welsh care homes at the centre of the case, 12.5 metric tonnes of unpublished evidence lie in a Pontypool warehouse.Experts say prosecutors too often face insurmountable difficulties in bringing people accused of neglecting the vulnerable to justice. Several high-profile figures are now calling for a change in the law: one barrister and academic tells File on 4 current legislation gives greater protection against cruelty to animals than against people.With other major scandals such as those at Winterbourne View and Mid-Staffordshire still fresh in the public mind, Fran Abrams asks if the justice system is fit for purpose when it comes to dealing with abuse and neglect. Producer: Nicola Dowling.
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Folge vom 28.05.2013Iran's Nuclear StandoffThere's mounting concern over the Iranian nuclear programme. Is Tehran is simply playing cat and mouse with the international community and buying time until it is ready to develop a nuclear weapon? Evidence is emerging that Iran is co-operating with North Korea, a country which has already developed its own weapon.The latest report from the UN's international watchdog, the IAEA, is due out next month - but has the IAEA been strong enough in its dealings with Tehran and Pyongyang?Reporter Rob Broomby charts the history of concealment of Iran's nuclear activities and its refusal to abandon the most controversial parts of its programme, despite numerous UN Security Council resolutions and a raft of sanctions. In a detailed interview with File on 4, Iran's ambassador dealing with nuclear matters, Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, denies his country is a "serial offender". But can protestations of innocence be taken seriously when Iran still refuses inspectors access to key sites and documents?The programme also examines the role of the IAEA in dealing with Iran and hears from former nuclear inspectors, ex-Whitehouse officials, diplomats and experts. Is the Agency up to the job of preventing states from acquiring the bomb? Producer: Ian Muir-Cochrane.