Cookies

What are cookies?

A cookie is a small piece of data that websites collect from visits and that can identify a web-enabled user device such as a computer, laptop, PDA, mobile, smartphone or tablet (delete as applicable). To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.

What cookies do we use and why?

Necessary cookies:

These are essential to enable you to move around the website and use its features.

Session cookies:

These are used to store information about or change setting for a user session. It lasts only for the duration of your visit and are deleted when you close your browser.

Universal Google Analytics

Universal Google Analytics providers:

  • _ga

Purpose: This cookie is a Google Analytics persistent cookie which is used to distinguish unique users

  • _gid

Purpose: This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visited in an anonymous form.

  • _gat

Purpose: This cookie is used to throttle request rate. These are third party cookies that are placed on your device to allow us to use the Google Analytics service. These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our website. We use this information to compile reports and to help us improve the website

Expiry/retention of Universal Google Analytics: Read Google’s security and privacy in universal analytics

Preferences/functional cookies:

These allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your username). The information these cookies collect is anonymised (i.e. it does not contain your name, address etc.) and they do not track your browsing activity across other website.

How to change cookie settings?

You have the ability control, accept and decline cookies, if you choose to decline cookies; you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of our site and any preferences will be lost if you delete cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time by navigating to the cookies icon on the left-hand side of the screen and amending your selection of cookies.

Alternatively, most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings.

Find out how to manage cookies on popular browsers:

To find information relating to other browsers, visit the browser developer's website.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Cookies and data protection

If you would like to know how we collect and process your personal information, please visit our Privacy Policy.

Policy revision

This policy was updated on 18 June 2022.