Ministry of Defence File: Information Management - The Freedom of Information Act 2000 - Requests for Information

This document is a Ministry of Defence (MOD) registered file (D/DAS/10/2/8/13) concerning the management of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests related to Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) or UFOs. The file covers the period from 2005, containing correspondence between the MOD's Directorate of Air Staff and various members of the public who submitted inquiries under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The correspondence highlights the MOD's official stance: that it possesses no expertise regarding the existence of extraterrestrial life and that its interest in UFO reports is limited strictly to determining if there is any threat to the security of United Kingdom airspace. The file includes several specific FOI requests, such as inquiries about UFO sightings in North Yorkshire, Cumbria, and North Lancashire, as well as requests for logs of UFO sightings over central London. The MOD consistently informs requesters that it does not hold these records electronically, but rather in paper files, and that searching these files would exceed the cost limits set by the FOI Act. The file also documents the internal administrative processes for handling these requests, including the use of the 'Access to Information' toolkit and the requirement to provide timely responses. Notably, the file contains a 1994 report of a UFO sighting near the MOD Foxhill site in Bath, which was retrieved and provided to a requester. The MOD explains that it is in the process of compiling a database of UFO reports to improve public access and transparency, while ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998. The document also clarifies the reporting procedures involving the Civil Aviation Authority and the UK Airprox Board, distinguishing between 'UFO' reports and 'airmiss' reports. The file concludes with administrative disposal forms, indicating that the file was closed in July 2007 and marked for permanent retention.