Websites sometimes store small amounts of data on your computer called 'cookies' to remember if you've been to the website before. Cookies also help make online services more easy to use.
Cookies are small text files that websites save to your computer. The cookies used by this web site do not contain any of your personal information, and the cookies cannot be used to find out who you are. Cookies often include a randomly generated number which is stored on your computer. Many cookies are automatically deleted after you finish using the website.
This type of cookie identifies your specific browser session with the web site so that any 'state information' - information specific to your specific browser session - is maintained as you traverse the web site. The information itself is stored on the web site, and the purpose of this cookie is to associate your browser session with it. This cookie expires at the end of your session with the web site
Name of Cookie: ASPSESSIONIDxxxxxxxx
Lifetime of Cookie: During session only
Purpose of Cookie/Data Stored: Encrypted Session Information
The final 8 characters of the session name are unique to the session and are generated by the web site. The cookie data is a chunk of encrypted data
We use Google Analytics to gather statistics on how our web sites are used. Google Analytics uses 3 cookies to assist its information gathering:-
Name of Cookie: __utma
Lifetime of Cookie: 2 Years
Purpose of Cookie/Data Stored: Unique User ID generated by Google Analytics
Name of Cookie: __utmb
Lifetime of Cookie: 30 minutes
Purpose of Cookie/Data Stored: Unique Session ID generated by Google Analytics
Name of Cookie: __utmz
Lifetime of Cookie: 6 months
Purpose of Cookie/Data Stored: Referrer Information as to how the page was reached
Click here for more information on the cookies used by Google Analytics.
Google provides a browser plug-in at http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en to allow you to opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics
All browsers have will usually have a means of restricting cookies as well as providing the functionality to delete cookies that have already been accumulated. The 'Help' function should tell you how. The web site http://www.aboutcookies.org provides comprehensive information about this.
You can use Google's plug in mentioned above to opt out of Google Analytics tracking
Disabling cookies will impair your ability to make full use of the majority of web sites on the internet, although you do not need to allow cookies to make use of our web sites.