A problem with asking pilots is that an unknown percentage are going to lie.
A fact of aviation life unfortunately. Ask a pilot if they hold a current IMC rating and they will answer Yes. Check their logbook and in many cases you will find that the last proper IMC flight was their renewal test.
Getting the data from the examiners is the only 100% credible answer.
If this is going to take years to come to a head then the CAA can bring in a paperwork requirement for renewals which will track holders of the rating and record the amount of IMC time, instrument approaches etc logged since previous renewal. Can't see any examiners objecting if they actually support the IMC rating idea.
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Spoke with a French pilot this morning. His opinion was that if the UK made all the lower enroute airspace class E and D thus allowing the IMC rating holders access it or removed the airspace class restrictions from the rating it would look better in places like France where those are the lower airspace classes. Otherwise it is seen as a "we want you to take on our rating that we don't let people use in our system."
Regards,
DFC