This situation smacks of a cop out by the ATC unit involved and relinquishing the duty of care. I would like to know SRG views on it.
This comment smacks of someone who doesn't have a clue about the rules for VMC climb/descent! As a procedural controller myself, I know that trying to separate IFR without any surveillence eqipment can be quite tricky. The controller in this situation could've just sent the ac on a PS outbound for the procedure without having to say anything to the ac on a BS. If one ac is on a PS and one on a BS then, as coolbeans correctly said, the controller did more than was required AND applied a DOC where he didn't have to. I'd like to see what SRG would say about that!