Parkfell, agree on all your points there. There is just one correction to your post, the MPL to conventional CPL/IR conversion as detailed in the easy access rules is based on the MPL being fully issued.
At the moment the EASA easy access rules do not clearly detail how an incomplete MPL is converted to a conventional CPL IR. I assume the regulators will permit some degree of cross credit for training completed to date, and realistically the extra training for someone with an issued MPL and one that is unfinished but reached at least the intermediate phase is probably about the same. The difference is with an issued MPL the conversion route is laid down in the regulations but for those that are incomplete I would assume (note I say assume because this is just my judgement based on the content of the course, which may not be correct) additional exemptions and approvals would need to be sought from the NAA to agree the conversions process.
Since writing the post this morning there has been news in the public to domain to say MPL courses are getting cancelled.