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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has conducted on sea levels in the Bristol Bay area for the next 20 years. [107339] Mr. Morley: Sea levels have been and will continue to be monitored in the Bristol Channel as a part of the National Tide Gauge Network, operated by Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) and funded by Defra. Tide gauges are monitoring sea levels constantly at the following sites, Mumbles, Newport, Avonmouth, Hinkley Point and Ilfracombe. The Environment Agency also monitor levels at West Quay Bridgwater for local operational reasons. This information is used to provide tidal predictions and for monitoring long term sea levels and relative land levels. Through analysis of the Tide Gauge data and information from global climate change modelling POL have made predictions of future trends in sea levels all round the UK. These have informed the recommended Defra allowance of 5 mm rise per year for this area of the coast that takes account of both sea and major land level movements. It is also compatible with a range of future scenarios published by Defra last year as part of the UK Climate Impacts Programme in "Climate Change Scenarios of the United Kingdom", copies of which can be found in the Libraries of both Houses.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

107339; 403 c135W

Session

2002-03

Subjects

Coastal areas Climate change Flood control Forecasts Statistics Research Bristol Channel Sea level

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk