Cookie Policy

What cookies are

A cookie is a small text file that a website asks your browser to store on your device. When you return to the site, or visit another site using the same service, the browser sends the cookie back. Cookies can be useful: they keep you logged in, remember a language choice or hold a shopping basket. They can also measure how people use a site (analytics cookies) or follow users across the web to build advertising profiles (tracking cookies).

In the UK, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) require a website to get your consent before storing or reading most cookies. The exception is a cookie that is strictly necessary for a service you have asked for. The UK GDPR also applies wherever cookies involve personal data.

What this site uses

Nothing. The site is built as static pages with a single stylesheet and a small script that handles the navigation menu, accordions and the eligibility checker. That script sets no cookies and uses no local storage, session storage, IndexedDB or other browser storage. The eligibility checker holds your answers in memory only while the page is open and discards them when you leave.

Our hosting provider delivers the pages but, to the best of our knowledge, sets no cookies in doing so. [LAUNCH BLOCKER: confirm with the hosting provider or CDN that no cookies (for example load-balancing or security cookies) are set, and list any that are]

Third-party requests

Each page loads the Inter typeface from Google Fonts. This is not a cookie: Google serves the font files from fonts.googleapis.com and fonts.gstatic.com without setting cookies in your browser. It is, however, a request to a third party, and that request sends your IP address to Google. Our privacy policy describes this more fully. [LAUNCH BLOCKER: decide whether to self-host the font files, which would remove this third-party request, and update this section and the privacy policy accordingly]

If you submit the enquiry form, your entries are sent to Formspree, the service that processes it. That is a request you choose to make, not a cookie, and our privacy policy describes it.

What would change if we added analytics

We have no plans to add analytics or any other tracking. If we did, three things would change. First, we would need a consent mechanism that meets PECR and UK GDPR requirements. That means a clear banner that lets you refuse as easily as accept, sets no non-essential cookies until you choose, and lets you withdraw consent later. Second, this policy would be rewritten to list each cookie, its purpose, its provider and how long it lasts. Third, our privacy policy would be updated to explain the processing. None of this would happen silently.

How to control cookies in your browser

Although this site sets none, you may want to manage cookies from other websites. Every modern browser lets you:

• see which cookies are stored and delete some or all of them;
• block third-party cookies while allowing first-party ones;
• block all cookies, although some sites will then not work properly; and
• clear cookies automatically each time you close the browser.

These settings are usually under "Privacy", "Privacy and security" or "Site data" in your browser's settings. Your browser's built-in help explains the exact steps. The Information Commissioner's Office publishes independent guidance on cookies and your rights at ico.org.uk.

Changes to this policy

This policy will be updated if the site's use of cookies or similar technologies changes. It was last updated on [LAUNCH BLOCKER: effective date of this policy]. Questions can be sent through our contact page.