Administrative ease? If they don't have to take the time to photocopy any of that, they have more time to do their actual job of processing apps?

LOL, it also cuts the budget by cutting the amount of time an ECO has to spend on apps. Might be there is a copy boy/girl who will be erm, losing employment, but somehow I have a feeling the ECOs were doing the clerical tasks like copying when people hadn't sent applications and supporting documents with copies.

Plus, if you look at the internal guidance notes for ECO, there is something in there about the ECO needing to make copies if none were supplied; even though the Guidance Notes for applicants is pretty clear applicants need to supply photocopies, it's possible the UKBA added even more clarification to assist the public in understanding what copies they need.