Nice email address Int-blank. As an aside, how did you arrange that ?
I think the points Pp.Radar raised provide the neginnings of the answer to your questions Int-blank.
How will NATS feel if they do nothing now, and subsequently responsibility for UK ATC falls to DFS/DGAC or worse the FAA ? Fancy being managed by them ? I doubt it...
The other issue is to use profits from thie growth business to reduce Unit charges to UK Airspace users....
Safety is the prime factor in all of this.
A "private" company's whole existence (in this line of business ie. aviation) depends upon the level of safety it provides. If it doesn't provide the necessary levels, then either i/ customers go away and use competition or preferably ii/ the law (in this case future SRG) steps in and makes the necessary changes in one way or another. If BA, or any other airline/airport etc, weren't safe, then they'd lose business. As I read in Evening Standard the other day : "If you follow the line the nationalised aviation companies are safer, then we'd all be flying Aeroflot or Egyptair!" (or something to that effect).
As for SRG's current ineffectiveness, as described by others above, perhaps this is a symptom of the current "closeness" between CAA & NATS. With Separation, they will get some teeth....
I understand the safety argument used against PPP, but I think that it needs some real substantiation to win me back....I think it's being used as a smokescreen to hide NATS staff's real fears regarding their terms & conditions of employment....
Anyone care to comment ?