1 - The Black Vault

From: SEC(AS)2A1 I \
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Room 8245, Main Building, Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HB
Telephone (Direct dia I)
(Switchboard)
(Fax)
(GTN)
020 7218 21 40
020 7218 9000
IQ&CliS: I 46j
Dr D Clarke
Your Reference
Ov.r Reference
D/Sec(AS)64/3
Date
25 July 2000
Dear Dr Clarke
Thank you for your letter of 21 June seeking access to MOD files from 1969 onwards on
'unidentified flying objects' for examination, note taking and copying as necessary for your post
doctoral research in to the socio-psychological aspects of belief in aerial phenomena.
The Ministry ofDefence already operates in accordance with the Code ofPractice on Access to
Government Information. It responds positively to any requests for information and no categories
are automatically excluded. Each request is considered on its merits.
As you say, MOD files are subject to the provision of the Public Records Act of 1958 and 1967
and remain closed for 30 years after the last action on the file has been taken. We have, however,
looked carefully to see whether earlier release of the files containing papers relating to 'UFO'
issues might be possible. The Department receives about 400 sighting reports each year and a
similar number of letters from members of the public, some of which may also contain sighting
reports. The information is filed manually in the form it is received on Branch files and therefore
contains the personal details of all those contacting and corresponding with the Department.
MOD has a duty to protect this third party confidentiality and the 30·year period is deemed
appropriate for this purpose. Before access could be given to the material, staff would need to be
diverted from their essential defence-related tasks to retrieve the material from archives and
scrutinise and remove all of the personal information from many th,m,1.sands of documents. The
latter actiotiWOiifcfbe~he~;native:-io-·~~ntact . ev~ry;n~-providtng the
information to secure their agreement to the release of their personal details, would be
unworkable. Your request is therefore refused under Exemption 9 ofthe Code of Practice on
Access to Government Information (voluminous or vexatious requests and Exemption 12, Privacy
of an individual). We would, of course, be happy to look to see what information might be made
available if you could be more specific abcut dates. This would then enable us to consider
whether a more focussed effort on a limited amount of material might be possible.
I am sorry if any information provided to you by staff in the MOD Press Office has caused a
misunderstanding. At the beginning of the year the department received a number of enquiries
about the release of, and access to, 'UFO' files for 1969. These files were opened in the Public
Record Office in January and it may be that the MOD press officer at the time you made contact
was confused on this particular point.