A History of the Ministry of Information, 1939-46

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MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
Committees on which this Ministry is represented

List I. Departmental Committees

Name of Committee Composition Function or terms of reference Authority for Representation
Policy Committee Minister, Parliamentary Secretary and chief officers of Ministry; Representatives of the British Broadcasting Corporation and Department E.H. Advisory: to consider important issues of policy on which it would be an advantage to the Minister to have the views of all who are concerned with the policy and to have them tested and clarified by discussion. A/561
Executive Board Director General and certain chief officers of Ministry Executive: to consider executive action, minor issues of policy and domestic questions, important enough to be referred to the Director General and wide enough to be more conveniently settled after discussion than by departmental procedure. A/634
Home Planning Committee Principal officers of the Ministry concerned with Home Publicity Advisory and Executive: To be a Planning Committee for all aspects of publicity at home so that: (i) the work of all the Divisions concerned in the Ministry is in alignment; (ii) the proposals for publicity put forward by other Ministries are considered in all relevant aspects, are in alignment, and are rapidly executed; (iii) the Policy Committee of the Ministry is presented with proposals that have been properly initiated and planned; (iv) the decisions of the Policy Committee are quickly translated into effective and concerted action. A/606
Overseas Planning Committee Principal officers of the Ministry concerned with Overseas Publicity Performs the same functions in regard to overseas publicity as the Home Planning Committee does for home publicity. A/574
Name of Committee Composition Function or terms of reference Authority for Representation
Action Points Committee Chairman : Mr. Macadam
Mrs. Adams
4 members of H. I. Staff
3 members of R.A.D. Staff
1 representative from London Region
1 representative from Reference
Section 		To discuss the Weekly Report prepared by Home Intelligence and to take up questions arising out of it with the Government Department concerned. HP/320/14
Duty Room Committee Chairman : Mr. C.J. Radcliffe
Principal officers of this Ministry concerned with News & Publicity 		Advisory: to consider current matters of news and publicity. A 452/3
Joint Standing Committee of Ministry of Information and Reuters 3 Representatives of Ministry and 3 of Reuters. (Director-General in the chair) Advisory: in relation to matters of common interest to the Ministry and Reuters. Decisions on files RC/231 and RC/32/7
Director-General
Deputy Director-General
Mr. Wiltshire
(Mr. Waddell: Secretary)
Sub-Committee of Joint Standing Committee 2 Representatives of Reuters, Mr. Wiltshire, Mr. Waddell, Mr, Ridsdale, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Stevens, with additional ad hoc representation
(Mr. Wiltshire in the chair)
(Mr. Timberlake: Secretary) 		To prepare material for consideration by the Joint Standing Committee. As above
French Advisory Committee Chairman : Mr. Law or Mr. Harvey Representatives of the French Section of the Ministry; and of the F.O., B.B.C. and P.I.D. To discuss the weekly directive for broadcasting in French. FP 94/26
Italian Advisory Committee Chairman : Sir Maurice Peterson Representatives of Italian Section of the Ministry, F.O., P.I.D., B.B.C. with Service Advisors of the Ministry. To discuss weekly directive for broadcasting in Italian. Controller of Overseas Publicity at request of F.O., Dec. 1940
Name of Committee Composition Function or terms of reference Authority for Representation
Artists Advisory Committee Chairman: Sir Kenneth Clark; Sir Walter Russell, Sir Muirhead Bone, Mr. P.H. Jowett; representatives of the three Services; representatives of the Departments of the Ministry of Home Security, the Ministry of Supply and the Ministry of Information, Mr. Leigh Ashton To draw up a list of artists qualified to record the war at home and abroad. In co-operation with the Services Department and other Government Departments, as may be desirable, to advise on the selection of artists from this list for war purposes and on the arrangements for their employment. To advise on such questions as copyright, disposal and exhibitions of works and the publication of reproductions. Meets ad hoc; appointed in November, 1939.
G.P.72.
Advisory Committee on the Choice of Advertising Agents Chairman: Lord Luke
R.A. Brown
G. Heyworth
Mr. Vaughan (M.O.I.) 		To advise on the choice of advertising agents. Minister.
G.P.114.
Newsreel Committee Chairman: Director, Films Division; Officers of Films Division and representatives of each Service Department, Censorship Division and Newsreel Association. Advisory: to form closer liaison between the Newsreel Association and the Ministry. F/273
Joint Film and User Divisions committee Chairman: Director, Films Division; Representatives of Films, Foreign, American and Empire Divisions. Advisory: informal: to advise Films Division of the requirements of films for distribution by the User Divisions. F/45
Churches Advisory Croup Representatives from each of the leading Protestant denominations. To advise on the work of the Protestant Section of the Religions Division. R/126
Orthodox and Old Catholic Group Chairman: Canon J.A. Douglas; Composed of distinguished churchmen with expert knowledge of the Orthodox and Old Catholic Churches. To advise on work of the Orthodox and Old Catholic Section of the Religions Division. R/50
North of Ireland Group Representatives from the denominations concerned. To advise on the work undertaken by the Religions Division, at the request of the North of Ireland Government, among the Protestant Churches of Northern Ireland. R/94
Name of Committee Composition Function or terms of reference Authority for Representation
12 Regional Advisory Committees (1 in each Region except N. Ireland) 14 Nominees of each political party; and average of 7 representatives of other organisations; and an average of 5 persons serving in their individual capacity. 14 members are nominated by H.Q. of the political parties; the remaining members are selected by the Regional Information Officer, and approved by Headquarters. Advisory: To advise the Regional Information Officers on the state of public opinion in the Region and on matters of method and policy; to put forward suggestions for publicity; and to assist the Regional Information Officer in securing the co-operation of the bodies with which they are individually associated. HP/108/
382 Information Committees (in all Regions except N. Ireland) Two representatives of each of the main political parties; representatives of local authorities (especially in London) and of other organisations, also persons serving as individuals. Membership averages 22. Advisory and Executive; to advise the Regional Information Officers on local need for propaganda and to reflect state of public feeling; to undertake local arrangements for meetings, films displays, exhibitions, etc.; to make known official instruction in emergencies, and to counteract harmful rumours; to resist defeatism, both individually and collectively (for this purpose some committees have bodies of citizens affiliated to them). Set up by Regional Information Officer. HP/190/
Regional Information Officers’ Conference. Monthly Chairman: Minister D.G., D.D.G., Officers at H.Q., especially concerned with Regional Organisation and others as occasion demands with Regional Information Officers. The Minister
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