nickp
I must admit I'm having some difficulty following your point. Anyone who trains abroad may reasonably be expected to take a little time to adjust to flying here. That doesn't mean he's not been properly trained.
I agree it's far better to train in the country where you plan to fly, if finances permit. But, given the cost advantage of training in the US, it may still be cheaper to train there and allow some money to do some additional local training when you get back.
I don't have any difficulty seeing the explanation for what your 'senior individual in the CAA' says. Don't make the mistake of assuming the FAA PPL and the CAA PPL are the same standard. And the more reliable weather explains the difference in the time it takes to get a JAA PPL.
Lower standards in the US? I doubt it. The safety statistics don't support your impressions. Could it be just a little patriotic bias showing through? Or too long a conversation with your 'senior individual in the CAA'? Bear in mind that it's a constant source of wonderment to the CAA that American aircraft don't constantly crash because FAA aircraft and airman standards are so low. They tend to attribute it to simple good fortune!
What a pity we didn't simply copy the FAA system lock, stock and barrel instead of wasting so much time and money inventing a Joint European system which only makes life even more difficult and more expensive both for UK training organisations and for aspiring aviators.