The new QC appointments system is facing an uncertain future after it was confirmed today (9 March) that applications for the kitemark have fallen by more than 100 from last year's figure.

A total of 333 applications have been received by the QC appointment panel this year, compared to 443 in 2006. The drop leaves the system facing a major shortfall from the 500 anticipated by QC Appointments, the body charged with overseeing the self-financing process.

The fall in applications raises doubts over the long-term future of the new process, which required 500 applications to cover its own costs. The deadline for applications had earlier been extended from 15 January to 29 January.

The news follows suggestions from senior clerks and barristers that the cost of applying for silk could deter applicants, with fees rising by 39% from £1,800 in 2006 to £2,500 for the latest round of appointments. It has also been claimed that the number of applications in 2006 was artificially boosted by the three-year hiatus following the award's suspension in 2003.

QC appointment secretariat David Watts conceded that the rise in costs was a factor in the falling numbers of applications for silk.

Meanwhile, the number of female applicants fell from 68 last year to 51. The percentage of non-white applicants increased from 5% last year to 7%, despite a drop in the number of applicants from ethnic minority backgrounds from 22 in 2006 to a new figure of 20.

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