Viscount Long

Viscount Long of Wraxall (Richard Gerard Long, 1929-2017) was a British Conservative peer and politician who served in the House of Lords. Born in England, he held various government roles, including Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence from 1976 to 1979. In the context of UFO research, on April 1982, Viscount Long addressed parliamentary questions in the House of Lords, stating that the earliest UFO reports retained by the MoD dated back to 1962, as prior reports from before 1967 were routinely destroyed after five years. This policy changed due to growing public interest. His statement provides key insight into MoD UFO file retention practices during a period of heightened scrutiny, including debates initiated by Lord Clancarty. No known publications or personal UFO investigations by him are recorded.