Cookies
Find out more about how cookies are used on GOV.UK and how to manage them.
How we use cookies
Sessions
We set a cookie to record your session activity.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| mdtp | Stores session data | When you close your browser |
| mdtpi | Anonymous information about the kind of device you use on this service. | 10 years |
Our introductory message
You might see a pop-up welcome message when you first visit. We store a cookie on your computer so it knows you have seen it and not to show it again.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| seen_cookie_message | Saves a message to let us know you have seen our cookie message | 1 month |
Measure website usage (Google Analytics)
Google Analytics software collects information about how you use the site. We do this to make site improvements and make sure it’s meeting your needs.
Google Analytics stores information about:
- the pages you visit - how long you spend on each page
- how you got to the site
- what you click on while you are visiting the site
We do not pass any personally identifiable information to Google Analytics (eg your name or address) so they can’t use this information to identify who you are.
Google is not allowed to use or share our analytics data.
| Name | Purpose | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| _gid | This helps us identify how you use GOV.UK so we can make the site better | 1 day |
| _ga | This helps us identify how you use GOV.UK so we can make the site better | 2 years |
You can opt out of Google Analytics cookies on all Gov.uk websites (opens in a new window).