Here is the link to the Safety Sense Leaflet No. 8
Air Traffic Services Outside Controlled Airspace
and the AIP ENR
Lower Airspace Radar Service (LARS) AIP ENR 1.6
Worth reading and studying several times if you are learning to fly.
Ian_Wannabe,
I think the reason you are being taught it is because as Chilli Monster says that phraseology is stated in paragraph 15.2 of
The Radio Telephony Manual CAP 413. Your instructor is teaching you correctly by the book but what Chilli is saying is that in his experience (if I remember right Chilli you are an ATCO at Filton, please correct me if I am wrong) this it is not good R/T phraseology in practice in the real world for the reason he states.
This could be fed back and included in the next update of CAP 413 but as it stands, that's what the book says. I tend to modify my R/T a little based on my judgement where there is no safety impact.
So the bottom line is when in the exam do as the book says but when PIC out there aloft use your own safe judgement.