MOD file DEFE 24/2032/1

D/S4 (Air) /8/3
DI55 - Mr --../
Ops(GE)2b(RAFL::::
Copy tp: ACS(G)(RAF)
!REDACTION ON ORIGINAL DOCUMENT I
UFOs - DEBATE IN THE LORDS
I enclose a first draft of a proposed concluding speech
~or Lord Strabolgi in the Lords'' debate.
2. The draft tries to take account of the points made to us
on Thursday by Lord Strabolgi. However, on starting to re-
read the Earl of Clancarty•s book 'MYsterious Visitors• I
have appreciated more fully how heavily the Earl has hedged
his bets about space travel: indeed he suggests that the 'sky I
people' are 'paranormal' and come from •another space/time ll
dimension•. I do not recommend trying to track the Earl through
other dimensions, and suggest we stick to the bare essentials !
that we proposed to Lord Strabolg:t ·- that there are pl.enty of i
phenomena, that there are perfectly sensible explanations for !
them, and that the explanations offered by ufology are unn'bessary and i
prove idiotic under critical examination.
3. I would be grateful for any recent recorded cases to cover
the parts of para 6; otherwise I shall draw on the Condon Report
and Klase (the anti-UFO investigator).
4. Clancarty is likely to produce some •documented ~:and fully
authentica~ cases•. I would like to be able to demolish one
as an illus~on. I have provisionally chosen the disappearance
of the Norf'olk Battalion at Gallipoli, which Clancartry quotes
in one of his books: Hd of Army Historical Branch says that this
is a 'regular', about which the facts can be produced.
5. I would be grateful fer comments, criticisms and additional
arguments or cases. At this stage I am particularly anxious to
know whether you agree to the main line of arguments. Because
time is short I would be grateful for telephone comments.
6. The present draft'is about 2,000 words, around 15 minutes.
7. I have copied this minute to ACS(G)(RAF), and I be
grateful for his comments on the general line of
18 December 1978