Cookies
Cookies are small files saved on your phone, tablet or computer when you visit a website.
We use cookies to make this site work and collect information about how you use our service.
Measuring website usage
We use Google Analytics software to collect information about how you use GOV.UK. We do this to help make sure the site is meeting the needs of its users and to help us make improvements. We also send cross-domain tracking information to GOV.UK to help us understand and monitor performance data across multiple public services.
Google Analytics stores information about:
- the pages you visit on this service
- how long you spend on each page
- how you got to the site
- what you click on while you’re visiting the site
We don’t collect or store your personal information (eg your name or address) so this information can’t be used to identify who you are.
We don’t allow Google to use or share our analytics data.
Google Analytics sets the following cookies:
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | This helps us count how many people visit GOV.UK by tracking if you’ve visited before | 2 years |
| _gat | Used to manage the rate at which page view requests are made | 10 minutes |
| _ga_XV7F711QCR | This helps us count how many people visit GOV.UK by tracking if you have visited before | 2 years |
| _gat_UA-10311450-20 | This limits the number of concurrent calls to Google Analytics | 1 Minute |
| _gat_UA-145652997-1 | This limits the number of concurrent calls to Google Analytics | 1 Minute |
| _gid | This helps us count how many people visit GOV.UK by tracking if you have visited before | 1 day |
Essential cookies
We use essential cookies to remember your cookie settings. We do not need to ask permission to use them.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| analytics_preference | Saves your consent settings for analytics cookies | 1 year |
| hide_banner | Closes the cookie banner | 1 year |