Sure, I know that in the US, you are "cleared to land" when you are number 5 on the ILS. I don't have a problem with that, but in Europe it does have a different meaning. When a UK controller issues a landing clearance,you can be sure that he/she is satisfied that the tarmac is empty. Some even have it down to a fine art, "XXX 123, the surface wind is BLAH BLAH BLAH, you are now cleared to land on runway 456". Unless they use the "after the landing/departing" we all assume that the strip is empty.