There is a fundamental point to make here and that is related to Safety Management. As part of any safety management system, periodic reviews or audits are undertaken to look at specific areas. This principle is embedded in ICAO Annex 19.
3.1 Safety Oversight
The State has established mechanisms to ensure effective monitoring of the eight critical elements of the safety oversight
function. The State has also established mechanisms to ensure that the identification of hazards and the management of safety
risks by service providers follow established regulatory controls (requirements, specific operating regulations and
implementation policies). These mechanisms include inspections, audits and surveys to ensure that regulatory safety risk
controls are appropriately integrated into the service provider’s SMS, that they are being practised as designed, and that the
regulatory controls have the intended effect on safety risks.
My emphasis.
This audit is exactly what ICAO requires, not some knee jerk reaction. The audit could have been undertaken any time in the last 30 years. If it had happened pre-Shoreham, would there be as much noise? The State i.e. the CAA is required to conduct such audits and yes this is probably well overdue but that is not a reason for saying they should not do it.
It is also worth saying that whilst Shoreham was the first fatality of uninvolved third parties, you could say the UK has been very lucky in the last 63 years. Shoreham was not the only accident in the last few years. i.e CarFest Gnat in the very same month as Shoreham.
I cannot understand your opposition to work which is intended to look to improve safety. I can only conclude that it is the increase in fees which is behind your vehement opposition rather than any particular issue with the report. In your comments Pitts, I cannot see any reference that you have read the report or any logical argument or debate about the specific recommendations within it.
I am in no way defending the CAA here but I can see the logic in what they are doing after a tragic 2015.