The last update I had was that the Q plate idea has been challenged and the DVLA can't actually do it.
Q plates are solely for vehicles whose year of manufacture / first use in the UK are not verifiable.
You know the year of registration otherwise it would have a Q plate already, wouldn't it?.
They can take a cherished number from you or remove your current number & issue you with another one but it would still be the same year as the original.