The college is teaching the practice of only saying the word Millibars when the pressure is less than 1000.
Sorry, I was not directly implying that the College of Knowledge was teaching that since it is a feature that you see more often at some NATS airfields than others. Therefore any new controllers that are being encouraged to use millibars after any setting are obviously having this reinforced when they are validating at the unit they have been posted to. But why are some NATS aerodromes obviously beating the 'millibar' drum hard whilst others are perhaps not?
I personally don't have an issue with using degrees or millibars but the key issue for us flight crew is that we are being drawn away from our framework document (CAP 413) which conflicts with what we are being told on the R/T. Do we read back 'Millibars' after high QNH values or do we simply read back the QNH itself which CAP 413 mandates.
Sorry to some of the ATCOs that may view this as splitting hairs, but this could be a corker of a discussion for a line check if the trainer was particularly hot on his R/T! Who is right and who is wrong?
Think it may be time to ask the ATS folks at the CAA!