For your information, I am fully aware of what the requirements are, certainly in my area, as 1) i am IN a scheme, and have discussed these very points with the assessor during my last chat with him, and 2) I have dealt with Building control, and in fact know a BCO. In my neck of the woods they either come out themselves (usually using a contractor), after a building notice has been served, or they take the submission via a scheme from the competent person involved. These are their words not mine, I am not sticking up for anyone involved. There is no half way house or looking into a particular persons qualifications, that is what the schemes were introduced for.
As regards people going on that 18 day course, if you read the information in the link, it is very sketchy in parts and does not say that you will definitely be able to do anything. My assessor told me that he himself had failed several people for not having the required qualifications, or their work not being up to scratch. From the questions I have personally been asked during several assessments, I cannot see how someone who has only done an 18 day course will possibly have the knowledge to answer them confidently. I am also pretty sure that Stroma do not just accept the regs course as the only qualification they need to see. Maybe other schemes do to be a "DI", I have never looked into that side of it as it does not interest me.
I apologise if you took exception to my comments about your proverbial, it's just an expression that blokes tend to use when having a bit of a discussion, maybe I shouldn't have said it on here, maybe you might be being a tad sensitive? Anyway no offence meant, and have a nice Xmas