Help
We have tried to make this website as accessible and easy to use as possible. However, if you have problems using the site, you may find the following information helpful.
This website has been built to allow compatibility with all types of browser on any computer operating system. While its appearance will vary according to the capabilities of your system, the site itself should ways work. The site is always best viewed in screen resolutions of 800 x 600 pixels or above.
The majority of content on this website is provided in the normal HTML webpage format, viewable through any browser software. However, certain content is provided in non-HTML file formats, which may include:
Adobe Acrobat PDF format
PDF files can be read using Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is freely available for many different computer systems including Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, Linux and Palm. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader from the Adobe website.
If you have difficulties viewing PDF files on your computer you may find the following suggestions helpful:
- Refresh or reload the page you are trying to view
- Save the PDF to your computer and then open it from outside of your web browser
- Turn off the web integration in Adobe Acrobat by opening Acrobat Reader, clicking on Edit > Preferences > Options and, depending on your version of Acrobat Reader, deselecting 'Web Browser Integration' or 'Display PDF in Browser'.
Microsoft Word and Excel formats
Microsoft documents and spreadsheets can still be read even if you don't have the commercial Word and Excel programs on your computer. Microsoft offers a range of free 'viewer' programs for download; however, these programs are only available for Windows systems. You can download Microsoft Word and Excel viewers from the Microsoft website.
Alternatively, 'Antiword' is a free, open-source program that allows Microsoft Word documents to be opened and read on Linux and Mac OS X systems, among others. You can download Antiword from the developer's site.
Macromedia Flash format
We occasionally use Flash to enhance the experience of using this site. If your computer doesn't have it installed you can download Flash Player for free from the Macromedia website.
If you have problems viewing any Flash content, please visit http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash for assistance.
Video formats
We may from time to time feature video content on this website. To view video through your browser, you need an appropriate player installed on your computer, such as Windows Media Player, Real Player or QuickTime.
If you are using Netscape 4, you may have problems watching video. If you can only see a grey or white box, you can rectify the problem by doing the following:
- Select 'Edit' > 'Preferences' in the menu
- In the left panel select 'Applications' (under the 'Navigator' heading)
- Click 'New Type'
- Where it says 'File Extension' type mpg and press tab
-
Some or all of the boxes should now contain some text, amend the four boxes to contain the following details:
Description of Type: Movie Clip
File Extension: mpg
MIME Type: application/x-mplayer2
Application to use: plugin
- Click 'OK' and 'OK' again
- Reload the video page; the video should now appear correctly.
If the above still doesn't solve the problem then remove all references to type Movie Clip by selecting them and clicking Remove and then repeat the above steps.
If you experience any problems with the audio aspect of any video, you should check the following:
- Ensure you have a Soundcard installed on your computer
- Ensure your speakers and/or headphones are correctly connected and powered
- Ensure the volume control is set to a suitable level.
Accessibility
We have developed this website with the aim that it is usable and accessible to everyone and conforms to the guidelines for UK government websites. Click here to find out more about the steps we have taken to optimise accessibility.
