Is This the End of the Road for A Level Applied Business?

In the latest announcement about curriculum reform from Ofqual (they're busy, if nothing else) Applied Business appears in the list of qualifications to be scrapped, with the last teaching scheduled for 2015-16.There is a "public consultation" to which I think it would be well worth interested colleagues contributing:http://ofqual.gov.uk/news/gcse-level-reform-consultation/I know that many colleagues will feel that it is a great shame as this has helped over 6,000 students each year carry out an alternative type of A Level Business qualification that is more suited to their skills than the traditional GCE Business Studies. Please respond to the consultation if you would like to contribute to the debate.My contacts in the awarding bodies tell me that the "consultation" is largely for-show rather than a genuine attempt to gauge opinion, and that the fate of Applied Business was probably sealed some time ago. Gove's view is that there are only two kinds of legitimate Level 3 qualification - truly academic and truly vocational and that this leaves no room for the likes of Applied Business.But, you never know what might be achieved through concerted lobbying.