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 your computer or mobile phone. These include small files known as “cookies”. We do not use these to identify you personally, or to hold any personal data.
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 provided a username and password so that you don’t need to keep repeating these for every web page requested
- measuring how many people are using services so they can be improved and there is enough capacity to ensure they are fast
You can easily manage these small files yourself if you know how. You can find guidance on managing cookies on the Directgov website
Cookies used by this service
There are two types of cookie:
- Persistent cookies remain on your computer for a specified time and so are saved to your computer’s hard disk. We use persistent cookies to:
- identify that a registered user has returned
- securely remember your login User ID – if you have asked us to do so
- understand how you use our site and obtain information on website usage – as described above
- Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser and are usually not saved to your computer’s hard disk. We use session cookies to:
- hold some types of non-private information you provide while using an interactive tool on the website
- identify that you have logged in to the site
- hold your search criteria while you are carrying out a search of the website
- collect information on website usage – as described above
Cookies for maintaining your session
The following cookies are necessary so that we can provide you a joined-up session, know that you have logged-in (if applicable) and so that you do not have to re-enter information for every web page you request from our service.
| Cookie | Expiration | Cookie Type | Description |
| ASP.NET_SessionId | At end of session | Session | Keeps the user session ID for security reasons |
| CurrentTheme | 24 hours | Persist | Name of the current visual theme to provide proper design to the dialog windows |
| ASPXAUTH | At end of session | Session | This cookie confirms you are logged into the system |
| ViewMode | 24 hours | Persist | Cookie used to the page view mode required from the user, only used by an administrator if logged into the CMS system |
| ASPXFORMSAUTH | At end of session | Session | Logged in user authentication cookie |
| CMSPreferredCulture | 23 hours | Persist | This cookie sets the language of the website |
Cookies for remembering your preferences
The following cookies store selections and settings you have asked the service to remember for you.
| Cookie | Expiration | Cookie Type | Description |
| CMSPreferredUICulture | 1 year | Persist | Preferred user content culture |
Cookies for measuring use of services
By understanding how people use our services we can improve the information and service provided. This ensures that the service is available when you want it and is fast. We use a number of different methods of gathering this data.
The following cookies assist us in understanding how people use this service.
| Cookie | Expiration | Cookie Type | Description |
| VisitorStatus | 30 years | Persist | Overall status of the visitor to track the site visitors within the web analytics. |
| CurrentVisitStatus | Describes the amount of time that you have spent on the site during the current day |