This month I have dedicated my whole column to reproducing the Hansard Records for October 1998 because I believe there are some very important references to the UFO phenomena. I know Nick Pope keeps promising to do this, but he's very busy writing his new novel, so I'm doing it instead -- with his blessing of course. As always, we must be grateful to Lord Hill-Norton for pushing these questions in the House of Lords. As far as I am aware, these are all the UFO related Questions for October 1998. There are some very detailed replies, especially the list of UFO reports, which is a breakthrough as far as Answers go. It's interesting to note that "Secret Intelligence" are quoted in the records, and notice the many references to Royal Air Force [RAF] installations. I am amazed that the Ministry of Defense [MOD] continue to insist that these sightings are of "no defense significance" considering that Fighter Commands and Bombing Commands were experiencing unusual aerial phenomena as far back as 1943. These records are now freely available at the Public Records Office for anyone interested in viewing them. Written Answers: 14 October 1998 Unidentified Flying Objects Lord Hill-Norton asked her Majesty's Government: Whether they will list the document references and titles of all open files at the Public Record Office that contain information about unidentified flying objects. [HL3314] The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Laig): I list below the document references and titles of all open files at the Public Record Office known to staff to contain information about unidentified flying objects. There may be information in other open files but this could be discovered only at disproportionate cost. AIR 2 Air Ministry Registered Files AIR 2/16918 1961-1963, alleged sightings of UFO's. Letters from members of the public on alleged sightings. Magazine entitled Cosmic Voice: Mars and Venus Speak to Earth, dated November-December 1961/Article entitled "Men from Outer Space: Are they visiting Britain?" AIR 2/17318 1963 UFO reports AIR 2/17526 1964 UFO reports AIR 2/17527 1964-1965 UFO reports AIR 2/17982 1965-1966 UFO reports AIR 2/17983 1966 UFO reports (with photographs) AIR 2/17984 1966-1967 UFO reports (with photographs) AIR 14 Bomber Command AIR 14/2800 1943 December No.115 Squadron: News Sheet "Bang On" No.1, Aerial phenomena-reports of UFOs on RAF bombing raids. AIR 16 Fighter Command AIR 16/1199 1952 September Flying Saucers: occurrence reports by service personnel at Topcliffe station, Thirsk, and local public. AIR 20 Unregistered Papers AIR 20/7390 1952 Reported sightings of UFOs: memorandum prepared for the War Office. AIR 20/9320 1957 Parliamentary Question from 17 April 1957 by Mr. Stan Awbery MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Air, what recent investigations have been made into unidentified flying objects; what photographs have been taken; and what reports have been made on this subject. Reply by Secretary of State (Mr Ward). Notes on UFOs provided for the Ministers use. Also: UFO incident at West Freugh in Wigtownshire in 1957; incidents and signals at RAF Church Lawford, RAF Bempton and RAF Lakenheath; newspaper clippings 6 April 1957 from the News Chronicle and The Evening Standard; photographs of object over the Channel Islands from the Daily Sketch of 6 April 1957. AIR 20/9321 1957 Parliamentary Question 15 May 1957 from Major Patrick Wall MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Air, how many unidentified flying objects have been detected over Great Britain this year as compared with previous years; and whether the object picked up on radar over the Dover Straits on 29 April has yet been identified. Further questions to the Minister from Mr Frank Beswick MP. Notes for Minister on reported sightings. Replies by Mr Ward. Newspaper clippings April-May 1957: The Times, News Chronicle, Daily Worker, Daily Mirror, Daily Sketch, Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and the Evening News. AIR 20/9322 1957 Parliamentary Question 15 May 1957 from Mr Frank Beswick MP: To ask the Secretary of State for Air, what was the nature of the aircraft or other aircraft sighted on the radar defense screens on Monday night and which occasioned the dispatch of Fighter Command. Reply by Mr Ward. Notes for Ministers. AIR 20/9994 Headquarters Southern Section Intelligence. Reports on Aerial Phenomena, including "observation of unusual aerial phenomena at Royal Air Force Ventor on 29 July 1957". Two Copies of "Track Tracing" Sheets. Description of UFOs, for example, RAF Lyneham 9 December 1957: "December 1957: Description large bright crescent shaped object or could be a sphere with trails from edges. Traveling on a course of 290 degrees at a moderate speed. Seemed to be descending and not at a very great height". AIR 20/11887 1967 August (with maps) AIR 20/11888 1967 September AIR 20/11889 1967 October (with photographs) AIR 20/11890 1967 October (with maps) AIR 20/11891 1967 November (with maps) AIR 20/11892 1967 November AIR 20/11893 1967 December AIR 22 Periodical Returns, Summaries and Bulletins AIR 22/93 1955 Air Ministry Secret Intelligence Summary March 1955. Volume 10, Article No 3 on Flying Saucers "An object was reported..." PREM 11/855 1952 Personal Minute from the Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill to the Secretary of State for Air, Lord Cheswell, dated 28 July 1952. "What does all this stuff about flying saucers amount to? What can it mean? What is the truth? Let me have a report at your convenience." Minute from Secretary of State, dated 9 August 1952, dismissing stories about flying saucers. Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will list the document references and titles of all closed files at the Public Record Office that contain information about unidentified flying objects. [HL3315] The Lord Chancellor: I list below the document references and titles of all closed files in the Public Record Office known to its staff to contain information about unidentified flying objects. There may be information in other closed files but this could be discovered only at disproportionate cost. AIR 2 Air Ministry: Registered Files AIR 2/18183 1968-1969 Unidentified Flying Objects* AIR 20 Unregistered Papers AIR 20/11612 1967-1968 Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs)* AIR 20/11895 1968 April UFOS* AIR 20/11896 1968 May UFOs* AIR 20/11897 1968 June UFOs* AIR 20/11898 1968 July UFOs* AIR 20/11899 1968 August UFOs* AIR 20/11900 1968 September UFOs* AIR 20/11901 1968 October UFOs* AIR 20/11902 1968 November UFOs* AIR 20/12055 1969 January UFOs* AIR 20/12056 1969 February UFOs* AIR 20/12057 1969 March UFOs* AIR 20/12058 1969 April UFOs* AIR 20/12059 1969 May UFOs* AIR 20/12060 1969 June UFOs* AIR 20/12061 1969 July UFOs* AIR 20/12062 1969 August UFOs* AIR 20/12063 1969 September UFOs* AIR 20/12064 1969 October UFOs* AIR 20/12065 1969 November UFOs* AIR 20/12066 1969 December UFOs* AIR 20/12067 1970 January UFOs* AIR 20/12297 1970 February UFOs* AIR 20/12298 1970 March UFOs* AIR 20/12299 1970 April UFOs* AIR 20/12300 1970 May UFOs* AIR 20/12301 1970 June UFOs* AIR 20/12302 1970 July UFOs* AIR 20/12303 1970 August UFOs* AIR 20/12304 1970 September UFOs* AIR 20/12305 1970 October UFOs* AIR 20/12306 1970 November UFOs* * = Thirty year closure rule applies. Written Answers: 19 October 1998 Airspace: Definition Lord Hill-Norton asked her Majesty's Government: Whether they recognize any definitions of the terms of "airspace," "outer space," "deep space" and "interstellar space;" whether they will detail such definitions; and whether these are the same definitions as used by the United States Government. [HL3311] The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): HMG recognize and use the term "airspace." The principal of airspace sovereignty is defined in the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation (1944), which states that a country has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory, including its territorial sea. This airspace starts immediately above the surface of the earth. There is no internationally agreed definition of where "outer space" starts. The most commonly used boundary between airspace and outer space is functional. This means, for instance, that the launching of satellites or other space objects is deemed to be an "outer space" activity and that the flight of aircraft is considered to be an activity in airspace. The use of "outer space" is governed by the United Nations Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and other Celestial Bodies (known as the Outer Space Treaty, 1967) which covers all activity beyond sovereign airspace. Both the UK and the US have ratified the Outer Space Treaty and UK legislation regulating such activity (the Outer Space Act 1986) is based on its principles. "Deep space" and "interstellar space" are terms sometimes used by space scientists and astronomers. "Deep space" is a phrase often used to describe space missions to other planets, beyond the combined gravitational field of the earth and moon. "Interstellar space" is not commonly used but could, for example, denote the space between stars within a galaxy. Written Answers: 19 October 1998 Unidentified Flying Objects Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Gilbert on 3 September (WA 60), whether airports, observatories, RAF bases and police stations are still required to forward details of any report they receive of an unidentified flying object to the Ministry of Defense, or whether such action is now only discretionary, following the April 1997 review of procedures. [HL3313] The Minister of State, Minister of Defense (Lord Gilbert): There is no requirement for anyone to submit 'UFO' sighting reports to the MOD, other than for military air defense purposes. However, any reports sent to the department will be given the attention they deserve, commensurate with the quality of information provided. Written Answers: 20 October 1998 RAF Feltwell Deep Space Tracking Facility Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the deep space tracking facility at RAF Feltwell has a role in tracking or searching for satellites, space debris, ballistic missiles and space probes. [HL3312] Lord Gilbert: RAF Feltwell is responsible for searching for man-made objects in deep space and as such does have a role in searching for tracking satellites, space debris and space probes. However, it has no role in ballistic missile detection and tracking. Written Answers: 20 October 1998 MoD Answering Machine Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will ensure that the answering machine which the Ministry of Defense uses both to explain its policy on unidentified flying objects and to provide a facility for the public to report sightings is turned on at all times and not switched off outside working hours. [HL3407] The Minister of State, Ministry of Defense (Lord Gilbert): Yes. HOT GOSSIP UK www.hotgossip.co.uk NOVEMBER 1998 by Georgina Bruni E-mail: georgina@easynet.co.uk Editor-in-chief, Georgina's Unexplained http://www.hotgossip.co.uk/unexgoss.html Permission granted to distrubute this material providing the authors and the publication are credited. © Hot Gossip UK, 1998 Nebula: UFOs & Extraterrestrials The ParaStore: Books on UFOs & Aliens UFO message board: Share your views