Cookies policy

1. About cookies

1.1 A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser and is stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.

1.2 Cookies may be either "persistent" cookies or "session" cookies: a persistent cookie will be stored by a web browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date, unless deleted by the user before the expiry date; a session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.

1.3 Cookies do not typically contain any information that personally identifies a user, but personal information that we store about you may be linked to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.

1.4 Cookies can be used by web servers to identity and track users as they navigate different pages on a website and identify users returning to a website.

2. Analytics cookies

2.1 We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of our website.

2.2 Our analytics service provider generates statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies.

2.3 The analytics cookies used by our website have the following names:_ga, _gat

2.4 The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of our website.

2.5 Our analytics service provider's privacy policy is available at: http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/.

3. Blocking cookies

3.1 Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies; for example:

1. in Internet Explorer (version 10) you can block cookies using the cookie handling override settings available by clicking "Tools", "Internet Options", "Privacy" and then "Advanced";
2. in Firefox (version 24) you can block all cookies by clicking "Tools", "Options", "Privacy", selecting "Use custom settings for history" from the drop-down menu, and unticking "Accept cookies from sites"; and
3. in Chrome (version 29), you can block all cookies by accessing the "Customise and control" menu, and clicking "Settings", "Show advanced settings" and "Content settings", and then selecting "Block sites from setting any data" under the "Cookies" heading.

3.2 Blocking all cookies will have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites.

3.3 If you block cookies, you will not be able to use all the features on our website.

4. Deleting cookies

4.1 You can delete cookies already stored on your computer; for example:

1. in Internet Explorer (version 10), you must manually delete cookie files (you can find instructions for doing so at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278835);
2. in Firefox (version 24), you can delete cookies by clicking "Tools", "Options" and "Privacy", then selecting "Use custom settings for history", clicking "Show Cookies", and then clicking "Remove All Cookies"; and
3. in Chrome (version 29), you can delete all cookies by accessing the "Customise and control" menu, and clicking "Settings", "Show advanced settings" and "Clear browsing data", and then selecting "Delete cookies and other site and plug-in data" before clicking "Clear browsing data".

4.2 Deleting cookies will have a negative impact on the usability of many websites.

5. Cookie preferences

5.1 You can manage your preferences relating to the use of cookies on our website by using the controls below

Cookie controls

Google Analytics (Universal)

Consent	Cookie name	Type	Set by	Contains	Expires
Allow Decline	_ga	Performance	1st party	Unique anonymous user ID	2 years
	_gat	Performance	1st party	Anonymous number used to throttle the request rate of high-traffic sites	10 minutes