Cookie Policy
Cookies are used in our web applications to enable the website to run efficiently and collect data on how people use our website.
When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your device as well as analysing your journey through the site, to help us improve your experience as a user.
This is done through small files known as cookies. They cannot be used to identify you personally.
A cookie is a small text file usually containing a random and unique identifier that is sent to your browser from a web server and then stored onto your computer's hard drive. They are used to store information about you on your computer, however they do not personally identify you.
Cookies we use
We use Google Analytics and Siteimprove to collect information about how people use this site. We do this to make sure the site is meeting our users' needs and to understand how we could make improvements to the sites user experience.
Google Analytics and Siteimprove store information about what pages you visit, how long you are on the site, how you got here and what you click on. We do not collect or store your personal information, e.g. your name or address, so this information can't be used to identify who you are. We do not allow Google to use or share our Analytics data.
Google Analytics
The following cookies are set by Google Analytics:
| Cookie Name | Expires | Secure |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | 2 years | No |
| _ga_<container-id> | 2 years | No |
| _gid | 1 day | No |
Siteimprove
The following cookies are set by Siteimprove
| Cookie Name | Expires | Secure |
|---|---|---|
| nmstat | 365 days | No |
Blocking cookies
If you don't want to receive cookies, you can change the settings in your browser so it notifies you when cookies are sent to it and can refuse them. You can also delete cookies that have already been set - the Help function in your browser should tell you how.
Further information on controlling cookies is available at AboutCookies.org (external link)
Blocking Google Analytics
Some modern browsers make it possible to block the Google Analytics cookie from collecting data. This is done by installing an add-on to your browser. Browsers that offer this are Internet Explorer v8 to v11, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Opera.
Please note: If you choose to disable cookies you will lose some features and functionality on the website.
Further information
For further information on how cookies work and how to block them visit Wikipedia cookies (external link)
To see how to control cookies in your browser visit AboutCookies.org (external link)