This site uses cookies – small text files that are placed on your machine to help the site provide a better user experience.
In general, cookies are used to retain user preferences, store information for things like shopping baskets, and provide anonymised tracking data to third party applications like Google Analytics.
As a rule, cookies will make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser. Find out more about how to manage cookies.
What cookies do we use?
Strictly necessary cookies
WordPress
WordPress is the Content Management System (CMS) we use to build our website. The cookies that it generates are strictly necessary for our websites to run.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| PHPSESSID | Preserves user session state across page requests | End of session |
| wordpress_test_cookie | Used to check if the user’s browser supports cookies | End of session |
| wordpress_sec_2895c52f8effb96dc69c55a97f37a995 | WordPress uses to determine whether a user is logged in or not | |
| wp-saving-post | Created when auto-saving a post in the editor | |
| __utmli | Tries to distinguish clicks on links to the same destination in the in-page analyses | End of session |
| accesscontrast | Colour and font selection whilst using the accessibility setting in the gel | End of session |
| accessfont | Colour and font selection whilst using the accessibility setting in the gel | End of session |
| cookies_lhc.js | End of session |
Functional cookies
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| pdb_wp_asession | Used to enable the feed hygiene search form | 30 minutes |
| CookieConsent | Stores the user’s cookie consent state for the current domain | 1 year |
Performance cookies
Measuring website usage (Google Analytics)
Google Analytics stores information about what pages you visit, how long you are on the site, how you got here and what you click on.
We do not collect or store your personal information (for example, your name or address) so this information cannot be used to identify who you are and we do not share or allow Google to use our analytics data.
Google Analytics sets the following cookies:
Universal Analytics
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Registers a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website | 2 years |
| _gat | Used to manage the rate at which page view requests are made | End of session |
| _gid | Stores and updates a unique value for each page visited | End of session |
Google Analytics
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _utma | Collects data on the number of times a user has visited the website as well as dates for the first and most recent visit | 2 years |
| _utmb | Registers a timestamp with the exact time of when the user accessed the website | 30 minutes |
| _utmc | Registers a timestamp with the exact time of when the user leaves the website | when you close your browser |
| _utmt | Used to throttle the speed of requests to the server | End of session |
| _utmv | Used to store visitor level custom variable data | |
| _utmz | Collects data on where the user came from, what search engine was used, what link was clicked and what search term was used. | 6 months |
| _utm.gif | Tracking Code that logs details about the visitor’s browser and computer. | End of session |
You can opt out of Google Analytics cookies.