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Abstract
The growth of executive agencies in the UK has been rapid. The first agency was established in 1988 and, by October 1997, over 75% of civil servants were working in such organizations. They were created to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of central government services. Accountability was widened, and an emphasis was placed on the need to develop performance measurement and performance reporting systems. This article discusses the importance of performance information for accountability by agencies, and, through a time-series study of annual reports, examines changes over time. While highlighting the increasing use of performance information in external reporting, the article identifies significant weaknesses.