1 - The Black Vault

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Your reference: D/Sec(AS)64/3
1 August, 2000
D~
Many thanks for your detailed letter of 25 July with reference to my request to view
MOD files relating to 'unidentified flying objects.'
Firstly, I r~se your _staifilave ritllJ!Y._ .Qth~LIRQf.~~ pressing defence-:related duties.andl .-~ ---·· ·· - ....... .
apologise if my request has added to that burden. I contacted the Freedom of
Information office on 20 July inquiring as to what had become of my original request,
simply because I was concerned that my letter had gone astray, or had been sent to the
wrong department, as I had not at that stage received an acknowledgement. Almost
immediately I received your acknowledgement in the post, and would like to make it
clear that I have always been satisfied with the helpful and detailed responses received
from the MOD's Secretariat (Air Staff) on the occasions I have contacted your
department in the past.
With regards to my request to view files, I accept that my request for access to files
covering the period 1969 to present was a little ambitious in terms of staff time. From
your response, it appears that the main obstacle preventing the use of these files for
research projects such as my own is the Exemption 9 in the Code of Practice which
relates to Privacy of the individual. You say you receive up to 400 sighting reports
each yell£ and a similar number ofletters, but I wonder if you could specify how many
of the individuals who contact the department in any one year have requested that their
personal details should remain confidential for 30 years? From cursory viewing of the
files which are available at the PRO relating to the period before 1969, I cannot recall
finding one single request of this kind, and indeed many of the sightings and letters
relate to events which are already in the .. public domain", for example have already
been reported in newspapers and other media.
\ While I would question the basis upon which my request has been refused, I do not
~~ wish to add to your administrative burden by asking for a review or involving my MP
~ ~\V.,e;r at this stage. I would be more happy to take up your offer of help to iocate "a more
.\ f ..f' limited amount of material" which ~ght fall within the terms o~ your Code of Practice
I for Access to Govennnent Informat1on. I would be happy to gwded by yourself as to
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what ~ou feel would be a reasonable request for access to a "limited amount" of
matenal.
{ Further to your offer. firstly I would like to point out that my research is not
l specifically concerned with the details of individual 'lJFO sightings" reported • by