I now have a link to the cover story from last weeks Gazette. It continues the discussion about the PDS.

This quote (emphasis added) caught my eye:

Prof Bridges added that with the introduction of price competitive tendering, the PDS should be retained as a ‘quality benchmark’ and to provide ‘a protection against market failure, which is a real possibility’.

Given the credence given to the Professors headline findings surely this far more important and far reaching observation deserves some consideration. Unsurprisingly this insight did not turn up in the LSC's press release.