I think it is barking mad myself. I think every single pilot should learn to handle aeroplanes and learn the basic stick and rudder skills. I also think that they should explore the envelope a bit before jumping into the RHS of an A330. By this I mean learn to make real life decision (weather etc..), maybe do some aerobatics, learn to fly fast singles and multi's as single pilot, gliders, microlights, whatever but build some experience.
This is where the old "you can't get an ATPL until 1500 hrs & after flight test" route is much better than this "frozen" ATPL route. I think the MPL is a waste of time and only designed for someone who has no real interest in aviation.