Chesham and Amersham MP Cheryl Gillan has been appointed the vice-chair of a panel responsible for flagging up environmental issues to Parliament.

The Conservative MP – who in May retained the seat she has held for over 20 years – will sit as the vice chair on the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Environment.

The group will examine a wide range of environmental issues covering water, development and European issues.

Mrs Gillan has vowed to use the position to study the impact of HS2 on her constituency, having called for a “fully bored tunnel which will protect the entire AONB” during the debate on the Queen’s Speech on May 27.

Issues scrutinised by the environmental panel will then be raised for discussion in both the House of Commons and Lords.

She said: “In 1992 I made my maiden speech and focused in part on the Rio Environment conference.

“Since then I have taken a great interest in environmental matters including working with the Woodland Trust in my early days in Parliament to save Penn Woods.

“With the pressures on my constituency and the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it will be good also to consider the impact of infrastructure projects on our environment.

“I have already returned to the fray to make sure that HS2 does not destroy our beautiful countryside and the fragile ecology of the Chilterns.”