§ 55. Mr. Tilneyasked the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations what duties in the United Kingdom are carried out by his information officers; to what extent the reports received from his overseas information officers are disseminated here; through what channels of publicity this is done; and whether action is taken to counteract in the United Kingdom an unbalanced presentation of political issues in Commonwealth countries such as Ghana.
§ Mr. AlportThe information staff of the Commonwealth Relations Office maintain contact with the British, Commonwealth and foreign Press, and with radio, television and film organisations in the United Kingdom. They advise the Secretary of State on the public relations aspects of all questions of Government policy which affect Commonwealth relations. They help to formulate and implement information policy. They exercise policy and budgetary control over United Kingdom information posts in Commonwealth countries, and over the official material produced by Government agencies in the United Kingdom for these posts. In 77W addition the Information Division is responsible, in conjunction with other Departments, for the campaign for the projection of the Commonwealth in Great Britain.
Reports received from information officers overseas are official documents, and are not published.
As regards the last part of the Question, Commonwealth High Commissioners in London have of course their own information staffs, but the help and advice of the Information Division of the Commonwealth Relations Office is always available to them.