Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government classifies the Solent as (a) an estuary or (b) open water.

The body of water defined as The Solent is neither classified as an estuary nor as open-water. The Solent is a strait that separates the Isle of Wight from mainland England. For the purposes of safe navigation and equipment requirements for ships, the Solent is classified as Category D waters, defined as ‘tidal rivers and estuaries where the significant wave height could not be expected to exceed 2.0 metres at any time’.