To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will confirm whether UK cooperation with the Five Eyes Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Caucus is ongoing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will confirm whether UK cooperation with the Five Eyes Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Caucus is ongoing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has participated in any international groupings focused on unidentified aerial phenomena since May 2023.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Government has participated in any international groupings focused on unidentified aerial phenomena since May 2023.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on unidentified aerial phenomena.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on unidentified aerial phenomena.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned studies into unidentified anomalous phenomena since 2013.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned studies into unidentified anomalous phenomena since 2013.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s policy is on reporting Unidentified Aerial Phenomena; and whether new material has been classified on the subject since the UK’s declassification programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s policy is on reporting Unidentified Aerial Phenomena; and whether new material has been classified on the subject since the UK’s declassification programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2023 to Question 196630 on Unidentified Flying Objects, for what reason his Department ceased to investigate reports of Unidentified Flying Objects and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2023 to Question 196630 on Unidentified Flying Objects, for what reason his Department ceased to investigate reports of Unidentified Flying Objects and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2023 to Question 196630 on Unidentified Flying Objects, whether his Department holds a register of reported sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2023 to Question 196630 on Unidentified Flying Objects, whether his Department holds a register of reported sightings of Unidentified Flying Objects and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reports his Department received of unidentified flying objects in 2022.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reports his Department received of unidentified flying objects in 2022.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to request access to the classified version of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Assessment, dated 25 June 2021, from the Office of the Direction of National Intelligence in the United States of America.

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to request access to the classified version of the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Assessment, dated 25 June 2021, from the Office of the Direction of National Intelligence in the United States of America.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the United States Office of the Director of National Intelligence Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, published on 25 June; and what data they hold on unidentified flying object sightings in the United Kingdom.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the United States Office of the Director of National Intelligence Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, published on 25 June; and what data they hold on unidentified flying object sightings in the United Kingdom.

My Lords, the Ministry of Defence notes the content of the report. The department holds no reports on unidentified aerial phenomena but constantly monitors UK airspace to identify and respond to any credible threat to its integrity, and is confident in the existing measures in place to protect it.

My Lords, the Ministry of Defence notes the content of the report. The department holds no reports on unidentified aerial phenomena but constantly monitors UK airspace to identify and respond to any credible threat to its integrity, and is confident in the existing measures in place to protect it.

My Lords, for decades, people who have been concerned with UFOs have been dismissed as fantasists, but now the US Director of National Intelligence, who oversees 17 intelligence agencies, has published a report saying that the data on UFOs is inconclusive. The report offers several possible explanations and does not rule out that these could be military aircraft with very advanced capabilities or even extraterrestrial phenomena. Either way, can the Minister reassure members of the public that the Ministry of Defence takes reports of unidentified flying objects in our airspace very seriously? Will she consider publishing a detailed assessment of the data that we hold?

My Lords, for decades, people who have been concerned with UFOs have been dismissed as fantasists, but now the US Director of National Intelligence, who oversees 17 intelligence agencies, has published a report saying that the data on UFOs is inconclusive. The report offers several possible explanations and does not rule out that these could be military aircraft with very advanced capabilities or even extraterrestrial phenomena. Either way, can the Minister reassure members of the public that the Ministry of Defence takes reports of unidentified flying objects in our airspace very seriously? Will she consider publishing a detailed assessment of the data that we hold?

The MoD deals with actual threats substantiated by evidence. The Government continue to take any potential threat to the UK seriously. The integrated review and the defence Command Paper published in March set out the MoD’s assessment of the threats we face and how we will meet them.

The MoD deals with actual threats substantiated by evidence. The Government continue to take any potential threat to the UK seriously. The integrated review and the defence Command Paper published in March set out the MoD’s assessment of the threats we face and how we will meet them.

My Lords, unidentified does not mean suspicious. Does the Minister recognise that the US report referred to says that there is no clear indication that there is any non-terrestrial explanation for the 144 sightings that it specifies? The idea that, in an era of mobile phone cameras, drones and frequent travel, there could possibly be alien spaceships whizzing about undetected in our atmosphere on a regular basis is not very plausible. It is much more likely that these blurred images have boring explanations, alas. Does my noble friend agree?

My Lords, unidentified does not mean suspicious. Does the Minister recognise that the US report referred to says that there is no clear indication that there is any non-terrestrial explanation for the 144 sightings that it specifies? The idea that, in an era of mobile phone cameras, drones and frequent travel, there could possibly be alien spaceships whizzing about undetected in our atmosphere on a regular basis is not very plausible. It is much more likely that these blurred images have boring explanations, alas. Does my noble friend agree?

The important point, on which I wish to reassure your Lordships, is that the UK air defence community detects and monitors all flying air systems 24 hours a day to provide an identified air picture as part of the UK’s national security posture and our commitment to the integrity of NATO airspace. That is supported by Typhoon aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby, which are held at high readiness to intercept any threat to UK airspace.

The important point, on which I wish to reassure your Lordships, is that the UK air defence community detects and monitors all flying air systems 24 hours a day to provide an identified air picture as part of the UK’s national security posture and our commitment to the integrity of NATO airspace. That is supported by Typhoon aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth and RAF Coningsby, which are held at high readiness to intercept any threat to UK airspace.

My Lords, in 2008 the MoD began the process of releasing all its UFO files. In 2009 Sir Bob Ainsworth, the Secretary of State, accepted the advice that:

“In more than 50 years, no UFO sighting … has indicated the existence of any military threat to the UK; there is no defence benefit in … recording, collating, analysing, or investigating UFO sightings”

and

“the level of resources devoted to this task is … diverting staff from more valuable defence-related activities”,

and he closed the relevant unit. Does the US report reveal any evidence containing any reason to review that advice?

My Lords, in 2008 the MoD began the process of releasing all its UFO files. In 2009 Sir Bob Ainsworth, the Secretary of State, accepted the advice that:

“In more than 50 years, no UFO sighting … has indicated the existence of any military threat to the UK; there is no defence benefit in … recording, collating, analysing, or investigating UFO sightings”

and

“the level of resources devoted to this task is … diverting staff from more valuable defence-related activities”,

and he closed the relevant unit. Does the US report reveal any evidence containing any reason to review that advice?

I simply say to the noble Lord that I seek to reassure him that, as I have indicated, we deal with actual threats substantiated by evidence. He is quite right about the closure of the UFO desk in 2009. I can confirm that the department holds no reports on unidentified aerial phenomena and that all relevant material created and held by the UFO desk has been passed to the National Archives.

I simply say to the noble Lord that I seek to reassure him that, as I have indicated, we deal with actual threats substantiated by evidence. He is quite right about the closure of the UFO desk in 2009. I can confirm that the department holds no reports on unidentified aerial phenomena and that all relevant material created and held by the UFO desk has been passed to the National Archives.

My Lords, turning to identifiable flying objects, does my noble friend agree that the UK has a tremendous opportunity to develop its new space industry, not least in low-earth orbit, in the build, development, launch, operation, recovery and rebuild of small satellites for both positive-purpose defence and civil opportunities?

My Lords, turning to identifiable flying objects, does my noble friend agree that the UK has a tremendous opportunity to develop its new space industry, not least in low-earth orbit, in the build, development, launch, operation, recovery and rebuild of small satellites for both positive-purpose defence and civil opportunities?

My noble friend makes an important point with which I entirely agree. That is clearly an area of exciting future development for the UK Government.

My noble friend makes an important point with which I entirely agree. That is clearly an area of exciting future development for the UK Government.

Given the subject, it is very reassuring to see the Minister here physically, not beamed in. The Pentagon has said that unidentified aerial phenomena are a serious national security threat. Notwithstanding what she has just said, does the Minister agree with the Pentagon’s analysis of the threat from unidentified aerial phenomena? Is the UK therefore suffering from a threat similar to that identified by the US? Given that the MoD abandoned its UFO desk in 2009, where are such sightings to be reported and to whom? The truth is out there and, we hope, in the Minister’s answer.

Given the subject, it is very reassuring to see the Minister here physically, not beamed in. The Pentagon has said that unidentified aerial phenomena are a serious national security threat. Notwithstanding what she has just said, does the Minister agree with the Pentagon’s analysis of the threat from unidentified aerial phenomena? Is the UK therefore suffering from a threat similar to that identified by the US? Given that the MoD abandoned its UFO desk in 2009, where are such sightings to be reported and to whom? The truth is out there and, we hope, in the Minister’s answer.