A cookie is a small file a website stores on your device, usually so it can recognise you on a later page or a later visit. UK law (the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) requires websites to tell you about the cookies they set, and to get your consent before setting any that aren't strictly necessary.
Last updated: 27 August 2026
Key points
- The guidance, regulations, glossary and reference sections of this site set no cookies at all.
- The directory and news sections set a small number of functional cookies, and only in response to something you do — logging in, or asking to be remembered.
- We run no advertising, tracking or profiling cookies, and no third-party advertising networks.
- Because we set no non-essential cookies, this site does not need a consent banner. If that changes, we will add one.
The Reference Sections Set No Cookies
Most of this site — the buyer guides, processes, industries, capabilities, materials, regulations, procurement and glossary sections, plus the homepage and this page — is served as plain static pages. They set no cookies, load no third-party scripts, and don't need consent for anything.
Cookies in the Directory and News Sections
The manufacturer directory and the news section run on WordPress, which sets cookies in specific circumstances. All of these are strictly necessary or functional cookies, set only in response to an action you take.
If you log in to manage a directory listing
WordPress sets session and authentication cookies (names beginning wordpress_, wordpress_logged_in_ and wp-settings-). These keep you logged in as you move between pages and remember your admin display preferences. Without them, logging in doesn't work at all, so they're strictly necessary and don't require consent. They're removed when you log out, or expire on their own.
If you comment on a news post
If you tick the box asking the site to save your name and email for next time, WordPress stores cookies (names beginning comment_author_) so you don't have to retype them. These are set only if you tick that box, last about a year, and can be cleared from your browser at any time.
Security cookies
The site's security measures may set a short-lived cookie when verifying that a login request comes from a person rather than an automated script. This is strictly necessary to protect the site.
What We Don't Set
We don't currently run Google Analytics or any other analytics package on this site. We don't run advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, social media tracking pixels or any third-party profiling. Nothing on this site follows you to other websites.
If we do add analytics in future, it will be covered by a consent banner that lets you decline before anything non-essential is set, and this page will be updated to describe exactly what's used.
Cookies on Other Sites
Directory listings link out to manufacturers' own websites, and some pages link to sources such as legislation.gov.uk or trade bodies. Once you follow a link off this site, that site's own cookies and privacy policy apply. We have no control over and no visibility of what they set.
How to Control Cookies
Every major browser lets you view, block and delete cookies through its settings, usually under Privacy or Security. You can block cookies from this site entirely; the reference sections will work exactly as normal, but you won't be able to log in to manage a directory listing, since that genuinely depends on session cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why doesn't this site show a cookie banner?
Because it sets no non-essential cookies. UK rules require consent for tracking, advertising and analytics cookies — not for the strictly necessary ones that make logging in work. A banner asking permission for cookies we don't set would be noise rather than transparency.
Do you track which manufacturers I look at?
No. There's no analytics on the site and no per-visitor tracking, so we have no record of which listings any individual viewed.
Where can I read what personal data you hold?
See the privacy policy, which covers what's collected, why, and your rights over it.