3.1 The use of cookies is governed by:

• Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)

• UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

3.2 PECR applies to storing information on, or accessing information from, a device, even if it is not personal data. Consent is required unless all conditions of a specific exception are met. Current exceptions cover communication, strictly necessary use, statistical purposes, appearance and emergency assistance, each with its own conditions. Where personal data is processed, an appropriate UK GDPR lawful basis and transparency are also required.

3.3 Our selected website approach is to rely on the communication or strictly necessary exception only where applicable and to ask for prior consent for optional functionality and marketing tracking, and for any analytics that uses cookies or stores information on your device. The Website’s built-in statistics, described in section 19, do not use cookies or persistent identifiers. We do not rely on the additional statutory exceptions unless a verified update explains the actual use and fulfils their conditions. This is the site’s chosen approach, not a claim that every optional technology always requires consent under the law.