Yes, I do.
The reason is that the NPPL was developed by established experts in their fields, not by JAA politicians. It was decided that an applicant's navigation skills should be tested by an Examiner
before the applicant set off on a solo navigation exercise with 2 intermediate landings rather than after; i.e. - not good enough to pass the NST then no, you can't fly your solo cross-country until you
are good enough.
The GST is flown at the very end of the course and looks at GH skills - a combined NST/GST similar to the JAR-FCL PPL Skill Test was viewed by most as being unfairly long for a pilot with perhaps only 32 hours of experience. The GST doesn't need to be conducted by the same FE who conducted the NST, so I don't really see your problem. If you need to travel twice, then charge appropriate travelling expenses if you must.
It's only JAR-FCL PPL Skill Tests which may not be conducted by an FE who has also instructed the applicant; that doesn't apply to NPPL Skill Tests nor, incidentally, IMC Rating Skill Tests. UK FEs are considered by the NPPL Policy and Steering Group as having sufficient integrity to avoid nepotism.
NPPL paperwork is designed to be
far simpler than JAR-FCL paperwork; it's a shame that many UK FEs are unaware of the correct paperwork. It's all in the appropriate syllabus at
www.nppl.uk.com .