Garage said it was a newish regulation, can't remember his exact words but something along the lines of critical structural components have to be new.
I've changed garages as I've moved to the other side of town, didn't realise when i booked the MOT that the new garage don't actually do the MOT, they send it off somewhere local, so they haven't looked at it themselves. Going to take it back to the other garage, last year they told them the W brace and kidneys would need replacing soon.