Cookies
Cookies aren't used to identify you personally but they can remember activities and preferences chosen by you and your browser. They're here to make the site work better for you, and to help us understand how people use the website.
To learn more about the cookies we use please read the information below.
Cookies for measuring website usage
We use Google Analytics to measure how you use the website so we can improve it based on user needs.
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. Our cookies do not store your personal information (e.g. your name or address) so this information cannot be used to identify who you are. We do not allow Google to use or share our analytics data.
| Name | Description | Expiration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | This is a cookie used by Google Analytics to distinguish a visitor’s site usage. | Expires after 2 years |
| _gid | This is a cookie used by Google Analytics to group events into a visitor’s journey while using this site. | Expires after 24 hours |
| _gat | This is a cookie used by Google Analytics to prevent accidental double counting of page visits. | Expires after 1 minute |
| _gat_govuk_shared | This is a cookie used by Google Analytics used to track cross-government site usage. | Expires when session ends / browser closes |
Session Cookies
We store session cookies on your computer to help keep your information secure while you use the service.
| Name | Description | Expiration |
|---|---|---|
| SESSION | This is a cookie used by SLC to create and store a Unique ID for the visitor’s session. | Expires when session ends / browser closes |
| BIGipServer* TS* |
This is a cookie used by SLC to help the site to surface the correct page for the visitor’s session. | Expires when session ends / browser closes |
| slcLocale | This is a cookie used by SLC which stores the visitor’s language preference for the site. | Expires when session ends / browser closes |
| cookie_preference_set | This cookie is used by SLC to store whether consent to additional cookies has been asked previously and if the user has either accepted or rejected additional cookies. | Expires after 12 months |
| cookies_policy | This cookie is used by SLC to ensure the service acts in accordance with your stored cookie preferences. | Expires after 12 months |
Managing cookies
You can manage these small files and learn more about them from Gov.uk: How government websites use cookies . There's also further information on how to remove cookies at About Cookies: how to control cookies.