A couple of years ago a chum of mine decided to get his PPL(A). He had at the time about 5000 hrs, most in microlights (he's an instructor examiner) and the remaining 500 or so in gliders.
CAA in it's wisdom allowed him 10 hrs off the PPL course. So there he was, just so he could fly a Luscombe (noticeably slower than some microlights), doing stall awareness, cross-countries, etc. for 35 hrs with an instructor vastly less experienced than he was.
What was lacking was cross-crediting, the system should just have allowed him to do a type conversion and a group A GFT (okay, skills test). Okay, maybe a couple of hours radio nav as well.
What NPPL does, beyond all else, is bring in that ability - for sensible crediting arrangements for experienced microlight, glider or SLMG pilots to change to group A (for for that matter, the other way around, or sideways) if there's something there they want to fly.
So, NPPL, is the way this was solved - fine, it's one solution.
In the meantime, the microlight syllabus is 25 hrs and usually takes 40, the SEP syllabus is 45 hrs and usually takes 70, odds are the 32 hr NPPL(SEP) syllabus will usually take about 50. Still a saving.
No it's not for everbody, and very few people will ever get any license in minimum hours. Personally I need a JAR license to fly foreign registered aircraft for example. But for the less fit, less well off, less patient, or those who simply want a modular route to flying different things, it makes good sense.
What I fail to understand, is why the heck all this couldn't be done under JAR! !!!
G