Shy, I don't know the numbers (does anyone?) but I can't disagree with you and from the odd reports that you see in the press, such as the Suffolk one you mentioned, it does seem as though there are forces who are paying 3/4 of the money for 1/2 the service.
As I say, that's only what I've picked up from the press, I am not involved with NPAS and don't know any of the details. It would be very interesting to find out, though.
As you said in your earlier post, it does look a little as though all of the nay-sayers and doom-mongers may just have known what they were talking about after all.