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@skydancer
TfL, specifically the 'Better routes and places' department, support the national standards and are keen to ensure that there is standardisation in training across london. They are also keen that engineers and local authority scheme managers understand and buy into what instructors are teaching in London (BTW there is still a lot of ROSPA training out of london where road position taught differs -one foot on the kerb for left turns is still around out there). London ITOs (instructor training organisations) have been involved in discussions around the NS and there has been a lot of agreement and consensus.
For a variety of reason the NS has stood still for 5 years. It was meant to be a live document with revisions ongoing as appropriate. TfL's actions here are to be applauded in that they are not trying to impose anything but to get relevant bodies in London round a table to come up with recommendations to put to the Cycle Training Standards Board who are ultimately responsible for the NS. The CTSB will likely consult the ITO group where the training expertise lies before any tweaks to the standard are made.
There are clearly issues with some infrastructure in London, even the more recent superhighways (which in my opinion, contravened TfLs own guidelines in some instances). I would hope that an outcome of this debate will be that the infrastructure guys will be forced to listen and understand better how riders minimise risk by riding in more visible positions.
One issue, however, is problematic and that is speed, the 5mph pootler... Everything fits nicely into place if the speed differential between the driver and rider is minimal.