someone else:
If I am providing a radar service to a pilot then I have to provide separation from notified areas; commonly 5 miles/1000ft from the published area.
The above is a must for RCS & DC but even if you were on a Traffic Service there is still an obligation on the controller to inform you of traffic that may come into proximity with you, so therefore I would aim to keep you to my prescribed minima.
What, even if you couldn't see any radar returns in that area? How on earth would you report that to the pilot, under any service?
And what's the basis for providing 5nm/1000ft separation from notified areas, as opposed to traffic? Where's that from? I've never seen that in any document. I would not be happy to be vectored 5nm away from a NOTAMed area that I'd flight-planned to miss by a mile, because of some unwritten rule relating to what might possibly be operating inside that area even though no-one can see anything in it.
Please explain!
NS