I always wanted to ask pretty much the same thing - what's the difference between one 32A ring mains and 2 16A radials using the same wire (but a few metres less because the ring needs to be completed) except 1 MCB or fuse? (not counting the arbitrarily maximum area served by radials in the UK). The possible load is exactly the same and you save some wire!
I've even seen fused contour plugs! (1000W movie light).
