What are cookies?
Cookies are one of the building blocks of most websites for enhancing the user experience of the website visitor. These small text files on users’ computers allow websites to store information.
Cookies can allow websites to remember that a user is logged in, what they have added to their shopping basket and the current ‘state’ of a webpage. They are also used to produce targeted advertising based on users’ behaviour and assist statistics packages such as Google Analytics.
Our use of cookies
We may use cookies to deliver a better and more personalised interaction/user experience. They enable Us to recognise you when you return to Our website by storing information about your preferences.
We use them to remember that you are logged in after you enter your username and password and then navigate to a different page. They also enable Us to generate statistics about the number of visitors We have and how they use Our websites and the internet – this allows Us to constantly improve Our website and services.
For more information about how We use cookies please see the Definition of Cookies and their function section below.
Managing cookies
You can set your browser to reject Our cookies if you wish, but this might restrict your use of Our and other websites. For instructions on deleting or controlling cookies please consult your browser help section or see http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
Definition of cookies and their function
i. Session cookies
These are temporary cookie files, which are erased when you close your browser. They are used to store your browsing information while you are using Our websites and will be active until you leave the website and close your browser.
ii. Persistent cookies
Persistent cookies help Us remember your information and settings for any future visits. This results in faster and more convenient access. On your first visit, the website is presented in default mode. During your visit, you select your preferences and these preferences are remembered, through the use of the persistent cookie, for the next time you visit the website. A persistent cookie enables a website to remember you on subsequent visits, speeding up or enhancing your experience of services or functions offered.
iii. CMS specific – session cookies
These types of cookies are placed by Our content management software (CMS) to remember whether your browser has JavaScript enabled.
iv. CMS specific – persistent cookies
These types of cookies are placed by our content management software (CMS) to remember your display preferences.
v. Google Analytics (3rd party) cookies
These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use Our websites. We use the information to compile reports and to help improve the website. The cookies collect information in an anonymous form, including the number of visitors to the website, where visitors have come to the website from and the pages they visited.
An overview of privacy at Google can be found here http://www.google.com/analytics/learn/privacy.html
vi. Google Ads
Google Ad Manager uses a cookie to be able to manage the frequency you see each advert.
vi. JavaScript code that sets cookies
JavaScript code can also be used to set cookies. These uses of cookies can be conditional, e.g. only activated when the user clicks on a particular page item or performs a particular action, or they can be set as soon as a page is visited.
vii. Third party cookies
To improve your experience of using Our website, We sometimes embed content or functionality from third party websites. Pages with this embedded content may present cookies from these websites. We do not control the dissemination of these cookies. You should check the relevant third party website for more information about these. Examples of such third party cookies are:
YouTube: Clicking on an embedded YouTube video may set a cookie on your computer, but YouTube will not store personally-identifiable cookie information for playbacks of embedded videos using the privacy-enhanced mode. To find out more please visit YouTube’s embedding videos information page.
Twitter: We may use Twitter functionality to allow you to easily tweet links to our content. Navigating to pages with this functionality may embed a cookie on your computer. The Twitter privacy policy can be found at https://twitter.com/en/privacy.
Cookies in use
Delete the sections below that do not apply to your website.
ccShowCookieIcon | Implemented by the Cookie Control module and records whether or not to show the Cookie Control icon – expiry 90 days |
has_js | Determines whether or not JavaScript is enabled so that Drupal can more efficiently perform operations to enhance the user experience – expiry is end of session on browser/tab close |
_cookiecontrol | Implemented by the Cookie Control module and records the fact that you as a user have agreed to accept cookies from this site – expiry 90 days |
SESS | Only set when logged in – Identifies the user’s session |
Drupal.toolbar.collapsed | Only set when logged in – Determines the display preference of the toolbar for the user |
_gat | Cookies set by Google Analytics and is used to throttle requests and has an expiration of 1-minute |
_ga | Cookie set by Google Analytics and is used to distinguish users and has an expiration of 2-years |
_gid | Cookie set by Google Analytics and is used to distinguish users and has an expiration of 24-hours |
_gac_ | Contains campaign related information for the user. If you have linked your Google Analytics and AdWords accounts, AdWords website conversion tags will read this cookie unless you opt-out |
__utma | Used to distinguish users and sessions. The cookie is created when the javascript library executes __utma cookies exists. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics |
__utmt | Used to throttle request rate |
__utmb | Used to determine new sessions/visits. The cookie is created when the javascript library executes and no existing __utmb cookies exists. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics |
__utmc | Set for interoperability with urchin.js. Historically, this cookie operated in conjunction with the __utmb cookie to determine whether the user was in a new session/visit |
__utmz | Stores the traffic source or campaign that explains how the user reached your site. The cookie is created when the javascript library executes and is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics |