The attached paragraph comes from the CAA Chief Flight Examiner and was promulgated to the Industry in Training Com 1/2004
http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/1_2004.PDF
1. VFR OPERATION AT MINIMUM LEVEL
When teaching Navigation, it is reasonable to teach students to plan a minimum altitude for each VFR leg that ensures compliance with Rule 5 (Rules of the Air Regulations 1996) and NOTAMS; if the cloud base lowers forcing the pilot to descend from his cruising level towards this planned minimum altitude in order to remain in VMC, he now has a yardstick to help him decide when to turn back. If the weather appears to be deteriorating further he should turn away (early) because on his plan, further descent on this track is unlikely to be an option. The problem is that FIs are calling this minimum altitude “MSA” or “Safety Altitude”. This is not acceptable; MSA and Safety Altitude are IFR safety minima. It is essential that FIs teach the correct meaning of these terms, how they are calculated, and avoid confusion with any VFR minimum altitude.