Current rules are no charges for VFR private flight in UK. ATC does not have to give me a service at all if they don't want to - ie they can refuse me entry into their airspace, refuse me FIS or an upgrade to RIS, it is currently highly unlikely that I would ever get an RAS unless flying IFR. If they are going to charge for services then VFR flights need to have the right to get what ever service they want. I'm sure that ATC do not want to go down that road! You are making a spurious argument regarding charging but I understand the problem of them having to cover their fixed costs - isn't just the airlines wanting to transfer some cost to private flights though?