Cookies make websites work better

Cookies are small text files placed on your computer by websites or sometimes by emails. They provide useful information to companies; this information contributes to the ongoing development of the website in line with customer demands. They also make sure you can use our handy calculators on our website, use our social links and remember any preferences you may wish to set. For us, cookies help us to analyse how our customers interact with our sites so we can make improvements and in general make the website work better for everyone.

We use three types of cookies on our websites

• Session cookies that are deleted after each visit.
• Persistent cookies that remain in place across multiple visits to our sites.
• Third party cookies that are used by our approved business partners.

Some of these cookies are essential and some are optional.

Some cookies are essential

Certain cookies are necessary in order for you to use our websites. These are used ‘in-session’ each time you visit and then expire when you leave the site. They’re not stored on your computer and they don’t contain any personal data. However, you can delete them via your browser if you wish to, but this will restrict the functions that you’re able to carry out on our sites. For more information about how to disable cookies in your browser please visit the About cookies website.

Here’s a list of essential cookies and how we use them:

• Session cookies – These enable you to carry out some essential functions on our sites, such as maintaining log in details for the session or a transaction. They also help by minimising the need to transfer information across the internet. They are not stored on your computer and they expire when you terminate your browser session.

Some cookies are optional

These cookies are usually supplied by our business partners and help us to filter out irrelevant messages or pop-ups and to make sure that we only send you information that’s interesting and relevant to you.

Here’s a list of optional cookies and how they’re used:

• Tracking cookies – These enable us to recognise repeat visitors to the site. By matching an anonymous, randomly generated identifier, we’re able to record specific browsing information such as how you arrive at the site, the pages you view, options you select, and the path you take through the site. By monitoring this information we’re able to make improvements to our sites.
• Social cookies – These cookies allow you to share and like our pages through your favourite social network sites.
• Marketing cookies –These cookies help us tailor the advertisements you see on third party sites by understanding what interests you on our sites, such as the pages you view. We don’t combine this information with other personal information you provide us with.

You can accept or block cookies

You can block any cookies from any website through your browser settings. For more information about how to disable cookies in your browser please visit the About cookies website.

If you share the use of a computer, accepting or rejecting the use of cookies will affect all users of that computer.

Flash cookies

These cookies make it quicker and easier for you to access sites on subsequent visits that use Flash technology. Deleting them means you may have to re-enter information each time you visit the same site. But just like any cookie, you can delete Flash cookies by going to the Settings Manager for your Adobe Flash Player. You will be taken to the Adobe website, which lists the websites with the cookies in your browser. Just click Delete opposite the relevant website.

Find out more

You’ll find more information about cookies at www.aboutcookies.org, which gives details on how to delete cookies from your computer. For information on how to do this on your mobile phone browser, please see your handset manual.