anotherthing
I suspect all this talk of being a "World Leader" is simply to provide a springboard/marketing edge for NSL to be launched into the "Free Market".
The question no doubt asked by Ministers and their advisors of both present and previous administrations is what is the State doing part-owning a company which has a large section operating in the "Free Market"? What is also true is that those private companies who operate in that same "Free Market" are fed up to the back teeth of competing against what they no doubt still regard as a subsidiary of a State-owned company.
The strongest arguments used against an outright privatisation of NATS as a whole were issues surrounding national security and the civil/military interface. Unfortunately, neither of these arguments apply to NSL to the same extent as they do NERL. Likewise, I suspect that the training of ATC staff and to a lesser extent the provision of ATC engineering services are also regarded as being less strategically important than the responsibilites which can be ringfenced by NERL.
Sadly, I suspect that 10 years from now only NERL, (or whatever it will be called by then), will remain from the NATS we know today and, unfortunately, I also suspect that the Unions will not be able to do anything to prevent it.
PS In the world of big business it is not uncommon for a company to take on a contract simply on the basis of making themselves look more attractive in the eyes of a potential buyer. What say you, Radarman?