Only to climb up or descend. However in my experience in other regions of the UK there is a smooth handover (usually 'contact' rather than 'free call' too) at appropriate points between radar units. The point I made (albeit I was not clear) is that approach radar is talking to the inbound and local traffic as well as me as transit traffic; area radar would not be. The former is not always relevant, but there are plenty of LARS units which don't have their own controlled airspace, including most of the military ones, and arrivals to most others from outside controlled airspace. I would not like to pass through parts of East Anglia without talking to the local mil controllers, having heard how many they are talking to and what that traffic is doing!
By the way in some countries all area radar, even in controlled airspace, is by local controllers. It seems odd to hear a taxi clearance given when you are in the airways!