Our use of cookies
When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your device, for example, computer or mobile phone. These include small files known as cookies. They cannot be used to identify you personally.
These pieces of information are used to improve services for you through, for example:
- enabling a service to recognise your device so you don't have to give the same information several times during one task;
- recognising that you may already have given a username and password so you don't need to do it for every web page requested; and
- measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there's enough capacity to ensure they are fast
You can manage these small files yourself and learn more about them through Directgov's guide: "Internet browser cookies - what they are and how to manage them"
Our use of cookies
Important information about this list of cookies
This list may not always be complete although we will regularly update it.
Cookies for measuring use of services
By understanding how people use our website, we can improve the information provided. This also ensures that the service is available when you want it and fast. We use a number of different methods of gathering this data, including services provided by the following companies:
Google Analytics
Name: _utma
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 2 years
Name: _utmb
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 30 minutes
Name: _utmc
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Name: _utmz
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 6 months
For further details on the cookies set by Google Analytics, please refer to the Google Code website [1]
Webtrends Analytics
Name: BCSI-CS-5099528575ce4d5c
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: when user exits browser
Name: WT_FPC
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 10 years
Name: notified-New_ONS_Notify_Page
Typical content: randomly generated number
Expires: 24 hours
Further information on Webtrends Analytics and its cookies can be found by using the search functions in their Webtrends support area
[2]
