3 things to know about how we use cookies
1. The reason we use cookies is so that your machine and our servers recognise each other.
2. No personal data captured by our cookies is used for any other purpose, other than advised below.
3. Where you have shown engagement with particular content on this site, cookies allow us to show you content we expect you'll have an interest in, allowing you to find useful content faster.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, tablet, smartphone, smartTVs or other devices by websites, web portals and applications that you visit. They are widely used in order to recognise your device, record some aspect of a website and to provide information to the owners of the website on your preferences or past actions.
The rules on cookies are covered by the EU e-Privacy Directive. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in the UK is responsible for enforcing these rules and further information can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-pecr/cookies-and-similar-technologies/ and https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/online/cookies/.
How and why we use cookies?
Nearly all well-known websites rely on cookies to give you a good digital customer experience. We use cookies to give you the best experience when you visit our website. They allow us to tailor the content of our website, so we can show you services or products we think you may be interested in, making it quicker and easier for you to find what you need. Cookies can also make it easier for you to manage your accounts, policies, or login details, and when applying for products and services.
Cookie categories
Strictly necessary cookies: These cookies are required for the operation of our website. They include, for example, cookies that will enable you to log into secure areas of our website.
Analytical/performance cookies: These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around our website when they are using it. This assists us in improving the way our website works, for example, by ensuring that visitors are able to easily find what they are looking for.
Functionality cookies: These cookies are used to recognise you when you return to our website. They enable us to personalise the content, recognise you and remember your preferences (for example, your choice of language or region).
Targeting cookies: These cookies record your visit to our website, the individual pages visited and the links followed. If the cookie is set by a third party which also monitors traffic on other websites, this type of cookie may also be used to track your movements across different websites and to create profiles of their general online behaviour.
The types of cookies we use on this website
Session cookies: These are used by us to manage your experience on our website whilst browsing and allow the website to function correctly, including security. For instance, they can keep you logged on as you move around a website or should something go wrong with our website, provide vital data to allow us to transfer you to a working site. These cookies expire when the browser is closed.
Permanent cookies: these remain in operation, even when you have closed the browser. They store small pieces of information that allow us to provide an experience and/or functionality between times you visit our websites. Examples include: remembering your login details and password so you don't have to type them in every time you use the site, storing your preferences and allowing us to know that you've previously visited our site. The law concerning permanent cookies stipulates that they expire after a period of six months from your last visit to our site.
First party cookies: These are cookies we create and manage directly.
Third party cookies: These can be set and managed by other organisations within our group or outside organisations acting on our behalf to provide services. For instance, you may be on a website that has 'Like' and 'Share' buttons for social network sites. If you click one, the social network site will put a 'third party' cookie on your device. That cookie may then collect data about you and send it to them too.
We use our own cookies and others from companies such as Google.
Links to sites provided by others
If you follow a link from our website to another website, please be aware that the owner of the other website will have their own privacy and cookie policies for their site. We recommend you read their policies, as we are not responsible or liable for what happens at their website.
Changing your browser settings for cookies
You can adjust the settings in your web browser to determine whether sites can set cookies on your device. If you've visited this site before, there may be previously set cookies on your computer. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
Alternately, you can find out how to delete them from the sites listed below following cookie settings in:
To opt out of being tacked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout