In certain circumstances we may use cookies to track information or specify preferences when viewing our site or those of our clients. An HTTP cookie – commonly referred to as just ‘cookie’ – is a parcel of text sent back and forth between a web browser and the server it accesses. Its original purpose was to provide a state management mechanism between a web browser and a web server.

Without a cookie (or a similar solution), a web server cannot distinguish between different users, or determine any relationship between sequential page visits made by the same user. For this reason, cookies are used to differentiate one user from another and to pass information from page to page during a single user’s website session. A web server uses cookies to collect data about a given browser, along with the information requested and sent by the browser’s operator (the visitor). Cookies do not identify people, but rather they are defined themselves by a combination of a computer, a user account, and a browser.

This helps us analyse data about webpage traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.