Cookie Policy

We use cookies to make our site work and to give you the best possible experience. This policy explains what cookies are, the UK laws governing them, and exactly how our implementation meets those requirements.

1. Why Cookies Matter

Cookies are small files stored on your device that help our site remember your settings, keep you logged in, and understand how you use our pages.

2. UK Legal Requirements

  • PECR (2003): Requires prior opt-in for any non-essential cookies.
  • UK GDPR: Treats cookie identifiers as personal data. Consent must be freely given, informed, specific, unambiguous, and just as easy to withdraw.

3. How We Meet These Requirements

  • Prior opt-in: No analytics or marketing cookies until you click “Accept.”
  • Clear information: Banner explains essential vs. optional cookies and links here.
  • Equal prominence: “Accept All” and “Decline” are styled equally—no pre-ticked boxes.
  • 12-month retention: We remember your choice for one year.
  • Easy withdrawal: Click “Cookie Settings” in the footer to change your choice anytime.
  • Security by design: We set cookies with SameSite=Lax and limit them to our domain.

4. Cookies Used by Our Website

Below is a breakdown of every cookie our site currently sets:

Name What it does Category
.ASPXFORMSAUTH ASP.NET authentication ticket (your login) Essential (auth)
ASP.NET_SessionID ASP.NET_SessionID (protects user Seesion) Essential (security)
ARRAffinity Ensures your browser session consistently connects to the same Azure Web App instance. This cookie is automatically added by Azure for load balancing and is required for platform stability. Essential (infrastructure)
ARRAffinitySameSite Functions like ARRAffinity but includes SameSite=None for cross-origin support. Required by Azure Web Apps to maintain session stickiness securely across modern browsers. Essential (infrastructure)
NewRMGCookies#### Short-lived app handshake or feature flag Functional (app-logic)
CookieConsent Stores the user's cookie consent status. Set to True when the user accepts, False when declined. If not present, the user hasn't chosen. Functional (compliance)
RMGSESSID Session ID (keeps your “logged-in” state) Essential (session)

5. Managing Your Preferences

You can update or withdraw your consent at any time:

  • Click the Cookie Settings link in the footer to revisit the banner.
  • Or manage cookies directly in your browser—see ICO: Cookies for the Public.

Last updated: May 2025