G'dad Flyer,
Clearance to FL70 is unrestricted in the case you mention. If a controller wanted you to comply with the the SID altitudes as per the plate, then he/she would not clear you to FL70 in the first place.
We get a lot of US pilots asking the same type of question. This is due, I believe (?), to the nature of American SIDs where a clearance on a particular SID requires the a/c to follow the particular profile stated and aircraft are not generally authorised by ATC to deviate from that profile.
Sink Rate,
With regard to STARs : you may be istructed to be FL200 level 20nm before ABCDE and later told to be FL150 level ABCDE. The book says that the ATCO must restate the previous restriction if he/she wants you to still comply with it.
In practice this is never done.
Due to the requirement to fly standard speeds unless otherwise instructed, which involves a speed of 250kts at, say, ABCDE; most a/c need to be at FL200 level 20nm before ABCDE in order to make the 150 level by ABCDE AND reduce to 250 kts by that point.
Almost all the STARs into the LTMA are constructed in this way. And if you ended up being 200 level 17 miles before ABCDE (ie. 3 miles late) I don't think any radar controller would notice.
These STAR restrictions are usually designed to avoid you entering the airspace of a controller who has no information on your flight. However, they are generally not so tight as to be dangerous if missed by a mile or two.
INS