A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that is downloaded onto the user’s device when the user accesses a website. It allows the website to recognise the user’s device and store some information about the user’s preferences or actions.

We will obtain your consent to use cookies except when the cookie is strictly necessary for the operation of any relevant website.

The cookies used on our websites are either set by us or by our third party service providers, and fall into the following categories:

• Necessary: Those that are necessary for the operation of a website, including allowing you to interact with our websites and to recall selections as you move between pages and which enable core functionality such as security, credentials authentication, network management and accessibility and to determine changes in information you provide to the websites.
• Functional: Those that are used to provide services or to remember choices you make so we can personalise our content for you. We use this information to customise your experience of our websites to meet your preferences e.g. to allow you access to recently viewed pages, to allow you to dismiss notices and suggestions etc. You can manage these cookies using your browser settings. However, if you block them we may not be able to offer you certain services.
• Performance (analytics): Those that analyse the use of our websites e.g. provide us with information about how you use our websites and your journey to our websites.
• Advertising (targeting): We use cookies to deliver advertisements about our products and services on our websites and on third party websites and apps.

Information collected by the cookies we use, may include information such as the following:

• the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet;
• the location of your device;
• information about your activity on our websites, for example, information on items you have clicked on;
• Unique Identifiers;
• device and browser settings and metrics, for example, event errors and time zone settings;
• content use history; and
• Uniform Resource Locators (URL) to, through and from our website (and relevant information regarding your visits).

For a breakdown of our third party cookie providers that set cookies on our website please see the cookie banners on our websites. These providers have access and/or collect personal data about you, when you use our websites.

We use a combination of session and persistent cookies. Session cookies keep track of your current visit and how you navigate a website and persistent cookies enable our websites to recognise you as a repeat visitor when you return. The session cookies will be deleted from your device when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain on your device after you have left the website.

Most browsers have cookies enabled by default, but you are able to change your cookies settings, which are usually found in the ‘options’ or ‘preferences’ menu of your internet browser. You can block any cookies from any website by activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of some or all cookies. However, if you block all cookies you may not be able to access all or part of our websites or use some features of our websites. You can also use your browser settings to delete cookies. For more information about cookies please visit https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/online/cookies/.

The technologies we use include, on a non-exhaustive basis, include cookies, local storage, web beacons and flash cookies.

Do Not Track: Our websites do not respond to “Do Not Track” (DNT) browser settings.