Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to remember information between pages or between visits, such as your preferences or whether you have already seen a notice.

Some are removed when you close your browser; others persist for a set period. How long a cookie stays on your device depends on whether it is a session cookie or a persistent one, and on the expiry its issuer set.

These are required for the site to function, including basic security and session handling. They do not track you across other websites and cannot be switched off through the site itself. Blocking them in your browser may prevent parts of the site from working as intended.

Because they carry no profiling role, they stay in place while you read pages, move between sections, and return to the site later. They are also what keeps any preference you set — such as a dismissed notice — from reappearing on every page.

Where used, these help us understand which pages are read and how visitors move through the site, in aggregate form. They do not identify you personally in the reports we see.

Analytics cookies can be refused or removed through your browser settings without affecting your ability to read the site. Turning them off means we see fewer visits in our figures, but nothing on the pages you read changes.

Some functionality may rely on third-party services that set their own cookies, for example embedded content or traffic measurement tools. These providers have their own cookie and privacy policies, and we do not control the cookies they set.

Their documentation explains what is collected and why, and it is the case that a provider can change a cookie's name, lifetime or purpose without our knowing. Where a third-party cookie is used on a page, its own policy is the reference to read alongside this one.

Every major browser lets you view, block and delete cookies through its settings, usually under a privacy or site data section. You can also configure your browser to warn you before accepting a cookie.

Instructions differ by browser and version, and vendor documentation is the most reliable source. If you clear all cookies, a preference you set on a previous visit may need to be set again.