Remember those public information films of the 1960s and 1970s?  

The Central Office of Information can today be found at www.coi.gov.uk/

Ministry of Information

From 1939 to 1945 the Ministry of Information was responsible for publicity and propaganda in aid of the war effort providing news and press censorship, both at home and abroad.

Central Office of Information

On 1st April 1946 the Central Office of Information (COI) took over many of the responsibilities which were previously the remit of the Ministry of Information.

Under the direction of departmental ministers and answerable to Parliament, the COI was concerned with overseas publicity, cultural, educational and trade operations. In May 1972 the COI was placed under the control of the Civil Service.

• In Scotland COI operated via the Scottish Information Office, reporting to the Secretary of State for Scotland
• In Northern Ireland through the Government Information Service.
• In Wales through a Welsh Office at Cardiff.

To promote long term education, information films were part of the output of the Central Office of  Information. John Grierson, previously of the GPO Film Unit, was Controller of Films at the Central Office of Information in London (1948-1950).