Outside CAS the responsibility for terrain separation lies with the pilot. However, most other countries don't provide radar services to ac outside CAS and there is the inherent problem. Only in the UK have we cobbled together RAS, RIS and FIS no other country provides exactly the same services and not every pilot knows what they are, or more importantly, who is responsible for avoiding the lumps. Furthermore, we descend ac based on Radar Vector Charts or other similar devices all of which are not known to the pilot. How is the pilot supposed to know that 2700ft in that particular area is safe or not? Since the F15 crash I have seen 2 instances where a similar situation could have occurred: the first was a pair of aircraft taking a different ac's instructions and popping out of the cloud 200ft above a hill; the other was an American who was given the QNH 998 and set 29.98, read back 998 and then descended well below the altitude he was given. Now these instances could happen anywhere but are a stark reminder to us all who instruct ac to descend when they can’t see the surface. It does say that the controller may remind the pilot of his responsibility and although the phrase "you are responsible for your own terrain separation" is an arse covering exercise I would rather tag it on to the myriad of things that I have to say, than end up in court because some pig farmer from Arkansas joined the national guard and got the chance to fly uncle sams finest around the UK "YEA HAW"