CIVIL SERVICE: Agency tables scheme abandoned

The Government has abandoned plans to draw up league tables of the "next steps" agencies which now employ two-thirds of Whitehall staff. It had hoped to draw comparative tables of the 130 agencies, but they are so diverse the task has proved impossible.

However, in the second annual review of the performance of the agencies, eight have been identified as performing particularly badly, meeting only half or less of the targets set by them.

Among the badly performing list are Companies House, the Fire Service College, the NHS Pensions Agency, the Patent Office, and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. The best performing agencies, which met 80 per cent or more of their targets included the Central Office of Information and the UK Passport Agency.

Next Steps Agencies in Government, Review 1996, Stationery Office, pounds 56.