With reference to Roger Knowles' letter (10 October, page 36) and the rather tired debate over the RICS, may I point out that architects, engineers and solicitors all have their own specialisms yet remain quite content to practise under the generic banner of their profession.
The reason, I suspect, is because they realise that the additional clout provided by belonging to a broader professional body supplements their specific areas of expertise.

I am also bemused by the perception that there is some mystical panacea available to the QS that the RICS is allegedly choosing to ignore but that potentially could be delivered by a brand new organisation. This simply does not exist. The "skills currently on offer by QSs" are not so unique that they cannot be offered by other professional bodies, including other types of chartered surveyor, and as such, the QS is surely better served by membership of an existing, recognised body rather than creating yet another.

I am reminded of the "Judean Peoples' Front/Peoples' Front of Judea" in Monty Python's Life of Brian – two organisations fighting for the same cause yet brutally opposed to the other. This alone should serve to highlight the ludicrousness of it all.