I have trouble reconciling the fact that some/many units appear to have a draft copy of a document already with your statement that 'The CAA will initiate industry wide consultation very soon.' Industry wide consultation surely means that everyone can see the draft - and I thought that the CAA published their consultations on the website.
The consultation
is on their website, but not this document because it is in
editorial draft. All the 'strawman' versions that came before this were widely circulated and every ANSP got a chance to input - the people commenting here on the draft document are non NATS, so case in point. I thought they were NATS which is why I was surprised when doversole asked if there was going to be any consultation.
I believe (but can't be entirely sure)that the document being discussed was out for proof reading, but obviously someone decided to put it out to their whole unit.
And by the way, NERL isn't 'funded' by the airlines - The airlines buy a service from NERL.
Just the same way you don't 'fund' WH Smith when you go buy a magazine from them. They make a profit on what they sell you and use that profit in any way they wish. The only difference is that NERL has a cap on how much profit it can make.