The PAS is a popular program in England and Wales. As I understand it, the Welsh Government is now expected to pay the modest amount necessary to maintain it as part of a general devolvement of central authority. However, Welsh authorities have been slow to address the issue.
This delay has apparently raised the hopes of PAS' few remaining critics in archaeological circles that any effort to continue to record finds in Wales will be killed off as an austerity measure. See
http://paul-barford.blogspot.com/2011/12/portable-antiquities-in-wales-details.html
Of course, that won't stop metal detecting, only efforts to record finds not required to be reported under the Treasure Act.
I've already observed that archaeological fanatics are far more interested in control than in conservation. See
http://ordinarymag.blogspot.com/2011/09/ancient-coins-and-cultural-property.html
Isn't this more proof of that observation? So, if this is not a make work program exclusively for archaeologists, PAS is not worth keeping?