Redacted Balance sheet in the annual report

[Shades]

Our Council had a bit of trouble in recent years and lost an employment tribunal, making a confidential out of court settlement in advance of the award.

Now, in an effort to honour the confidential nature of the settlement, they have refused to show the total expenditure for 2009/2010 and therefore the closing balance.

So, all income is shown, along with all expenditure other than general administration. As they can't total up the expenditure, they can't show the closing balance either.

This is in the annual report, subject to audit.

This seems a very strange course of action to take and I'm sure that the Audit Commission won't wear it.

I also think that it is personally insulting to every precept payer in the town, that we are not allowed to know whether the Town Council spent more or less than last year.

Is this a first?