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

This document is a Ministry of Defence file (D/DAS/10/2/8/13) containing correspondence and internal records regarding Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made in 2006. The requests were submitted by an individual seeking copies of historical files related to parliamentary enquiries about UFOs from 1976, 1977, and 1998. The file provides significant insight into the Ministry's long-standing policy regarding UFO reports, which is to investigate them solely for potential defence implications rather than scientific interest. The correspondence details the Ministry's interactions with persistent researchers like Julian J. A. Hennessey, who campaigned for years against the Ministry's practice of destroying UFO records after five years. The documents reveal that the Ministry eventually changed its policy to retain these records indefinitely, though they remained closed to the public under the 30-year rule. The file includes internal discussions about the sensitivity of releasing internal advice provided to Ministers, the potential for public embarrassment, and the necessity of redacting personal information of members of the public who reported sightings. The file also contains specific case details, such as the 1997 'sonic boom' incident in the Peak District, which was investigated as a potential aircraft crash but ultimately remained unexplained. The Ministry's stance throughout the correspondence is consistent: they maintain that they have no resources for independent scientific study and that UFO reports are generally explained by mundane phenomena such as aircraft, balloons, or meteorological events. The file serves as a record of the administrative process of handling FOI requests and the balancing of public interest against the need for internal confidentiality.