Don't agree that ATC can't offer a visual. MATS Pt 1 certainly doesn't prohibit it. In the bit about visual approach it says "controllers shall excercise caution in initiating a visual approach when there is reason to believe that the flight crew concerned is unfamiliar with the aerodrome and its surrounding terrain". To me that means ATC initiating it otherwise it, would say something like ".......excercise caution when clearing an aircraft for a visual approach".