s 320 Local inquiries.
(1) The Secretary of State or the Welsh Ministers may cause a local inquiry to be held for the purposes of the exercise of any of his or their functions under any of the provisions of this Act. (2) Subsections (2) to (5) of section 250 of the Local Government Act 1972 (local inquiries: evidence and costs) apply to an inquiry caused to be held under this section by the Secretary of State; and subsections (2) and (3) of that section apply to an inquiry caused to be held under this section by the Welsh Ministers . (3) In its application by subsection (2) to an inquiry caused to be held by the Secretary of State , section 250(4) of that Act has effect as if— (a) after “the costs incurred by him in relation to the inquiry” there were inserted “ , or such portion of those costs as he may direct, ” , and (b) after “the amount of the costs so incurred” there were inserted “ or, where he directs a portion of them to be paid, the amount of that portion ” .