Cookies


  • When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. This sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your computer, which is sent back to us at a later time. These are called ‘cookies’. These cookies are listed in the table at clause 8.5. Some websites don’t use cookies but use related technology for gaining information about website users such as JavaScript, web beacons (also known as action tags or single-pixel gifs), and other technologies to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalise advertising content. Multiple cookies may be found in a single file depending on which browser you use.
  • Where applicable, this section of the Notice also relates to that technology but the term ‘cookie’ is used throughout.


Some of these cookies are essential to services you’ve requested from us, whereas others are used to improve services for you, for example through:

  • Letting you navigate between pages efficiently
  • Enabling a service to recognise your computer so you don’t have to give the same information during one task
  • Recognising that you have already given a username and password so you don’t need to enter it for every web page requested
  • Measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and that there is enough capacity to ensure they are fast

This Website uses, or allows use of, the following cookies:

Strictly necessary cookies

  • These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies services you have asked for, like shopping baskets or e-billing, cannot be provided.
  • Category 1 – essential
  • First party: we’re placing the cookie
  • Session
  • Consent needed: No
Performance cookies
  • These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.
  • Category 2 – performance
  • First party: we’re placing the cookie
  • Session
  • The information will be sent to Google Analytics so that we can gather data on our customer journey, to help improve the customer experience, and the performance of the website.
  • Consent needed: Yes

Functionality cookies

  • These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as a live chat session. The information these cookies collect may be anonymised and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
  • Category 3 – functionality
  • First party: we’re placing the cookie
  • Session
  • Consent needed: Yes

Targeting cookies or advertising cookies

  • These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisation.
  • Category 4 – targeting and advertising
  • First party: we’re placing the cookie
  • Session
  • The information will be sent to Google Analytics so that we can deliver adverts more relevant to users and their interests They are also used to limit the number of times users see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that a user has visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisation.
  • Consent needed: Yes
The distinctions referred to in the above table are as follows:

  • First party versus third party cookies – we set first party cookies ourselves; third party cookies are set by other entities via our Website.

  • Session versus persistent cookies – session cookies only persist for the duration of that visit; persistent cookies last for longer
  • Identifying information removed – just because we’ve done this, they will still be personal information if the relevant information can be reassembled
  • Categories 1-4 found in the ICC UK Cookie guide, as explained below. Category 1 cookies don’t require the user’s consent, though you must still tell them about the cookies. Categories 2-4 do require their specific and informed consent.

Category 1 - Strictly necessary

These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies services you have asked for, like shopping baskets or e-billing, cannot be provided.


We include in this category cookies that are used only for electronic communication. (The ICC doesn’t refer to these cookies, but the law is the same.)


Note that cookies for which another person is the controller will never be necessary for a service requested of you. On the other hand, if you’ve asked another person to send a cookie on your behalf for an essential feature of your website, that would be category 1.

Category 2 - Performance

These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. This information is only used to improve how a website works.

Category 3 - Functionality

These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. For instance, a website may be able to provide you with local weather reports or traffic news by storing in a cookie the region in which you are currently located. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts and other parts of web pages that you can customise. They may also be used to provide services you have asked for such as a live chat session.

Category 4 - Targeting and advertising

These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organisation.

  • As with any other information we may collect from you, we’ll work to protect the security of your information during transmission by using by using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt information you input.

  • The Website may include third-party advertising and links to third-party websites. We do not provide any personally identifiable customer personal information to these third-party advertisers or third-party websites except where you’ve consented in accordance with this privacy notice, however as to cookies please see above clause Cookies and other internet tracking technology.
  • We exclude all liability for loss that you may incur when interacting with this third-party advertising or using these third-party websites unless you’ve consented in accordance with this privacy notice.