How to request info from MOD under the FOIA..

[Steve Watkins]

This was posted in Joe Mc'Gonagles excellent http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ufologyinuk List and I'm sure Clive and Joe wont mind me duplicating their advice here:

In light of the FOIA postings on this list I thought I would post this.
I thought it best to start a new post away form the "FOIA request Condign" postings as I have also included some **Defence News** article links.

Respect to all,
Clive Denton

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How to Make an official Request For Information

Guidance on how to submit a request for information to the MOD plus details on the availability of information.
Source: Defence FOI
Read ON: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Freed ... OIContact/

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Defence News
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The official who wants to believe

MOD civil servant Nick Pope, who has written books on the subject gives a personal view of the UFO phenomenon.
Source: Defence News
Read On: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Defen ... elieve.htm

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The truth is out there... under FOI

WHEN it comes to UFOs there are those who want to believe, there are those who see conspiracies everywhere, and some who just think it's nonsense. Every year, about 100 people contact the Ministry of Defence to report that they have seen an Unidentified Flying Object. Many more use the Freedom of Information Act in a search for the truth.
Source: Defence News
Read On; http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Defen ... derFoi.htm

Just to supplement Clive's post, here is part of the text from

http://www.smartgroups.com/message/read ... geid=9188&

which I sent to the list in June 2005. The thread may contain other tips.

Joe


If anyone is thinking about making requests, here are a few pointers:

1) The MoD are not obliged to respond to requests that will cost more than £600 to satisfy. This equates roughly to checking a year or two's records and providing copies of specific documents from within that timeframe relevant to a specific request.

2) Any records more than 25 years old are most likely under the control of The National Archives, not the MoD.

3) Probably in the order of 5-10 years worth of records are held in the department's office. Older documents (which have not been sent to TNA) will be under the control of the Departmental Records Officer. The request will still need to go to the FoIA contact, but records 5-25 years old will most likely take longer to process.

4) Don't bother asking for MoD records on Area 51 or Roswell, or indeed (with a few exceptions, usually involving UK military personnel) relating to events anywhere outside the UK. Foreign incidents are outside the scope of the MoD, and it is very doubtful if they take any interest in them except in extraordinary circumstances. The Foreign and Commonwealth offic may have taken an interest in specific foreign UFO events, and might be worth contacting.

5) Make any requests as specific as possible, and confined to a relatively narrow (eg 2 years or less) date-range. It is no good specifically asking for records of all CE3 cases received by the MoD without specifying a sensible date range - someone would have to spend the time checking 25 years worth of records, which would certainly breach the £600 barrier.

If anyone wants advice on making requests beyond the advice above, feel free to contact me on or off-list.

Cheers,

Joe