He can't instruct you to fly below MSA unless he's guaranteeing your safety by radar. Nor can he instruct you to break the law by flying less than 500' from person , vehicle, vessel or structure unless for the purposes of taking off and landing. You might struggle to convince CAA Enforcements that you were operating at those levels for taking off or landing when you were 7 and 9 nm from the airfield.
What the RAF does with its' own aeroplanes is up to the RAF, but civilian aircraft operate to civilian rules and I often notice a lack of knowledge in those rules from RAF controllers involved in controlling civilian traffic.
Tin hat on, awaiting incoming from the light blue.
SND