Of course this was written in the pre privatisation days when atc manning was designed to cope with maximum traffic loadings.
MATS part 1 is a regulatory document applicable to the whole industry (not just NATS) and therefore has nothing to do with pre or post privatisation worlds.
In addition things haven't changed for a lot of us ATSOCAS providers - maybe that's because most (not all - hello Cardiff) of us don't work for NATS.
There is a world outside of NATS
AREA which is best explained by those who work in it
But as for beancounter involvement, that has already happened with the recent DETR report on provision of LARS. Hopefully the treasury will see sense and go for the hypothecation of Avgas tax proposal which makes the most sense for funding of LARS and effectively ATSOCAS
CM