§ The Earl of CLANCARTYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are aware that in France, since 1st September 1977, a section for the study of unidentified flying objects has been set up in the National Centre for Space Studies in Toulouse, under the direction of Monsieur Claude Pokier, a distinguished scientist, and that this body is sponsored upon the French Ministry of Industry and Research; and whether there is a similar scientific organisation under Government sponsorship in the United Kingdom to study unidentified flying 1600WA objects, working closely with the French one.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge)Her Majesty's Government understand that a study group called the Groupe d'Etudes sur les Phenomenes Aerospatiales Non-Identifies (GEPAN) has been set up under the French Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Artisans at the National Centre for Space Studies in Toulouse. The group has no formal links with the United Kingdom, and we have no similar scientific group to study unidentified objects or phenomena.