§ Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent information has been received by his Department concerning changes in air temperature, precipitation and ice cover in Antarctica; and if he will make a statement. [143412]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 20 December 2000]: Meteorological information for Antarctica is provided to the UK Government by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). The Antarctic Peninsula region has experienced a significant rise in temperature of more than 2°C in the last 50 years and in the frequency of precipitation events resulting in a reduction in both ice shelves and perennial snow cover. Other areas, such as the South Pole, show significant cooling, but changes in ice cover over the remainder of Antarctica are not known. There is no significant trend in sea ice area over the last 27 years of high quality records. A report on the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, commissioned by my Department, shows that expert opinion is divided on the likelihood and cause of any collapse of this ice sheet, although the majority consider it to be unlikely. Such a collapse has been considered to be a possible consequence of global warming. The report concluded that there is a very low risk of collapse in the next three centuries, however, this issue remains a key matter for research at BAS.