Catalogue description Records of the Information Policy Department, Regional Information Department and Information Research Department

Following the closure of the Ministry of Information in 1946, a number of Information Departments were set up in the Foreign Office to deal with foreign publicity. The Information Policy Department was established in April 1946 to deal with general (as opposed to regional) aspects of publicity and information. There were also separate regional Information Departments: American, Eastern European, Far Eastern, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Western European Information Departments, all of which were absorbed into the Information Policy Department in 1949.

In 1948 following the closure of the Burma Office, the Burma Information Department was absorbed by the Far Eastern Information Department. A German Information Department was created in 1948 to meet the specific needs of the post-war Allied occupation of Germany and Austria, and continued until 1957, when it too was absorbed by the Information Policy Department. Also in 1947, an Information Services Department was formed to provide administrative support to the various information policy departments. It was absorbed into the Information Policy Department in 1954.

In 1957 an Information Executive Department was created to deal with such matters as broadcasting, international co-operation in information services, films and tours, leaving the Information Policy Department to work on broader policy issues.

In September 1965 the information services of the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Relations Office were merged, following the report of the Plowden Committee of February 1964 and its recommendations for the handling of information work in the overseas departments. The Information Policy and Executive Departments were abolished to be replaced by a Joint Information Administration Department (which exercised financial control of the various information services) and a Joint Information Guidance and Policy Department, both of which were under the control of the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs.

These departments became part of the Commonwealth Office on its formation, and then part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Similarly, the Information Services Departments of the two offices were merged in early 1966, to provide joint liaison with other government departments and agencies on the supply of information to overseas posts, and to organise sponsored visits and exhibitions. The Joint Information Services Department also had responsibility for the management of the Wilton Park Conference Centre in West Sussex, which was used to host international conferences on contemporary issues.

In 1965 a Foreign Office Planning Staff section was established to deal with general planning matters, including liaising with policy planners in other government departments, and contacts with unofficial opinion on international problems.The Planning Staff also administered the Permanent Under-Secretary of State's Steering Committee. When the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was formed in October 1968 the Planning Staff was merged with the Commonwealth Office's Commonwealth Policy and Planning Department to form a Planning Staff for the new Office.

The Information Research Department (IRD) was established following a decision taken at the cabinet meeting of 8 January 1948, at which the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presented a memorandum "Future Foreign Publicity Policy". It recommended the establishment of a small section in the Foreign Office to collect information concerning Communist policy, tactics and propaganda and to provide material for anti-Communist publicity through British Missions and information services abroad.

IRD's primary tasks were to alert public opinion world-wide to the true nature of Communism, and to give the lead in the spiritual, moral and political sphere to anti-Communist democratic elements, particularly in Western Europe. In order to avoid allegations of interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and to overcome Party differences on policy at home, IRD work was carried out on a confidential basis.

In its first year IRD issued 22 background briefs, started production of one regular publication entitled The Interpreter and compiled a series of notes for Ministerial speeches, in addition to briefing delegates to international conferences. Overseas distribution of its product began, and the need to adapt and translate for local usage was quickly identified.

The Information Research Department, like its overt counterparts, also became a Joint Information Research Department in September 1966 under Commonwealth Relations Office authority, and then became part of the Commonwealth and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices (FCO).

In 1971 IRD was reduced substantially in size and cost. In 1977 following an inspection of the FCO's information structure, three existing departments, IRD, the Guidance and Information Policy Department (GIPD) and the Information Administration Department (IAD) were re-grouped into two departments, the Overseas Information Department (OID) and the Information Policy Department (IPD).

OID became responsible for the production of both attributable and non-attributable written guidance. Its role was to collect information concerning policies of Communist states, and to provide anti-Communist information and publicity through British missions and information services abroad and by other means. The Department also provided briefs for delegates to conferences and notes for ministerial speeches.