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With almost all the clues solved I've found some extra words whose
first and last letters look very unlikely to be right. Is "in order" to be interpreted as "in clue order", or "in numerical order" or just "in some order or other"? And, in order not to seek too much of a give-away, do the 6 clue numbers multiply to 6,615,000?

Hi cockie

They're in clue order, across then down - I have two across and four down if that helps. My 6 numbers mutiply to 10,584,000.

Muraría, I agree with your figure

Thanks quisling! Really enjoyed this puzzle, good fun and all nicely brought together in the end

Thanks, guys. I now have the multiple ... but isn't USED in 20A unnecessary? It looked good after the Q ... (It didn't help that one of the extra letters was in a clue I hadn't yet solved - thank goodness I can still factorize.)

Cockie, it’s not essential for the clue to work, agreed, but it does help the surface

I agree cockie and it threw me for a while but I guess 'used' is just about OK. And it would of course have resulted in a double letter start to the second thematic word.

Yes, that's what threw me. However even with the two 6-letter words I am at a loss to see how they "identify the coding principle". I've tried various seemingly logical methods, but none delivers real words. What obvious thing am I missing?

I tried a few things to start with, inc. online converters but what they don't do is ignore punctuation. That's the key (sorry) to the code...it's actually fairly straightforward, start at the top and work your way down in both cases.

I found a simple 'converter' ie 2 lines one above the other 😄 that ignores punctuation.

All done but (as ever) one niggling parse issue outstanding. 32d 'Separate key debate dismissing appropriate technology'.

(I have the answer and have repeated the clue as printed....)

I assume I need to understand the appropriate technology. 'Apt IT' or 'fit kit' or 'nab gear' or....!!!