grobhead - NO - you do not the the hours you quote to take the test. You need those hours to APPLY for the licence.
The only hours requirement for starting training is a TOTAL TIME of 150 hours, made up of anything - P1, Dual, everything.
There is no P1 requirement to start the training.
likair - as I say above, the 150 hours is TOTAL time, including dual training flights.
What I was eluding to is the "hour building system" used by those who wish to cheat, whereby they, and a second pilot, rent an aircraft between them (and pay half of the rental costs each - thus reducing the price of the flying for each person).
One pilot then (at least in theory) flies the aircraft "under the hood' (simulated instrument flying) whilst the other pilot acts as "safety pilot" and looks out of the window to ensure they don't crash if the instrument guy gets it wrong.
Under the FAA system - both pilots can log the time as P1 (Commander of the aircraft).
Under JAA - they cannot - and if the licence issuing authority discovers this type of hour building has been going on (and they have done so in the past) then all those hours may be discounted and may give the applicant less than the 200 hours total required for licence issue - so it gets rejected.