Geoff,
With regard to your first point; yes, but not such that existing drills can be seen as flexible.
For your second point; read the following paper which resulted from many years of research into just that subject and which was published because of: (a) the resistance to further modification of the requirements by other Authorities; and (b) the perception that the CAA no longer had the legal competence to propose rule changes and wished to pass its knowledge and recommendations to one that had - i.e. EASA.
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/2005_06.PDF
I had close knowledge of the referenced paper in Appendix F because I Chaired the committee that researched and produced it.
Jim
Jim