AMERSHAM and Chesham MP Cheryl Gillan has welcomed changes to the plans for High Speed 2 announced today.

Despite indicating last year she may be prepared to resign from her Government position over the scheme, which affects her constituency more than any other Buckinghamshire MP, and continued speculation, Mrs Gillan made no reference to her future in a statement this afternoon.

She said: “The statement today reflects the Government’s decision to move forward on the proposal for HS2.

"We are still, relative to the timescales for the project, at the beginning of the process.

“I welcome the further steps that have been taken to mitigate the impact on Chesham and Amersham.

“I have arranged to meet with the Transport Secretary to ensure that any ultimate decisions on the project and on any route do as little damage as possible to our environment and our local communities and fully compensate all those that could be affected by today’s decision and any future new High Speed line.”

The Welsh Secretary’s office has not yet responded to requests for further comment on her future as a Government Minister, calls for her to resign and whether she will still push for the scheme to be axed entirely.

However, she told the Bucks Free Press recently that she would 'dearly love' the project to be scrapped entirely as residents wish.

Meanwhile, Beaconsfield MP Dominic Grieve's office said earlier today he was aware of his constituents' anxieties over HS2.

The Attorney General said he has been looking at the finer details of the proposals, with a statement from him expected later this week.