Ministry of Defence File D/DAS/10/2/8/13: Information Management and Freedom of Information Requests

This document is a Ministry of Defence file (D/DAS/10/2/8/13) containing correspondence and administrative records related to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests concerning UFO sightings in the United Kingdom. The file covers the period from 2006, with references to historical events dating back to 1967. The primary function of the file is to document the MOD's responses to public inquiries regarding alleged UFO incidents, including a specific 1997 incident at the residence of former Home Secretary Michael Howard. The correspondence reveals the MOD's standard operating procedure for handling such requests: informing the public that records are not held electronically, that they are filed by date, and that the MOD's interest in UFOs is limited strictly to determining if there is evidence of unauthorized foreign military activity or threats to UK airspace. The file includes several specific FOI requests from members of the public and journalists, such as inquiries about sightings in Shropshire, the North Yorkshire coast, and Bromley/Bexley. In each instance, the MOD explains that it does not have the resources to conduct broad searches of its paper archives due to the £600 cost limit imposed by the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The file also documents internal administrative processes, including the transfer of certain enclosures to other files (D/DAS/10/2/8/16) and the involvement of various departments, including the Directorate of Air Staff and the Home Office. The documents emphasize that the MOD does not investigate UFOs for their own sake, but rather as part of its broader responsibility for the integrity of UK airspace.