Catalogue description Records of the Government Actuary's Department

Before 1912 it was customary for government departments to approach independent actuaries when advice on actuarial matters was needed. In that year, under the provisions of the National Insurance Act 1911, an actuarial branch of the National Health Insurance Joint Committee was established, with Alfred (later Sir Alfred) Watson as chief actuary and a member of the Actuarial Advisory Committee to the joint committee.

Alfred Watson's advice was increasingly sought by other departments on matters not relating to national health insurance, and in recognition of these wider responsibilities the title of Government Actuary was conferred by the Treasury in 1917. His staff remained a branch of the National Health Insurance Joint Committee until July 1919 when a separate Government Actuary's Department was established. This was responsible to the Treasury, ministerial responsibility to Parliament resting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer until July 1973, when it passed to the Civil Service Department and the minister for the civil service, latterly a Treasury Minister.

For many years the major part of the work of the department related to national health insurance, particularly the valuation of the approved societies concerned in the financial administration of the scheme. The department later became responsible for actuarial work in connection with the contributory pensions scheme introduced under the Widows', Orphans' and Old Age Contributory Pensions Act 1925. Work was also carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Labour and the Northern Ireland Ministry of Labour in respect of unemployment insurance.

The National Insurance Act 1946, which led to the introduction of a comprehensive scheme of national insurance and industrial injuries insurance in 1948, modified these duties and required the Government Actuary to review the operation of the system annually and to conduct a comprehensive financial inquiry every five years in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The department has similar duties under statute, or by arrangement, in connection with public service pensions and private insurance. These duties include the provision of actuarial information and advice, review of schemes and assessments of funds in the case of the pensions of civil servants, national health service staff, local government officers, teachers, police and fire service staff, and other central or local officials. Similar duties are now performed in respect of the pensions of members of Parliament. The Government Actuary was required to review the valuations of friendly societies and the returns of life assurance companies, but these functions passed to the Financial Services Authority with effect from 1 May 2001.

The department also deals with various statistical and financial matters where the use of actuarial techniques seems appropriate. The preparation of tables for the grant of government life annuities and, following each census of the population, of new national life tables is also undertaken by the department. It also prepares estimates of future population trends, and deals with miscellaneous inquiries on questions of mortality, morbidity, accident and other social statistics.

Initially branches of the department were maintained in Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but these were closed in 1920, 1930 and 1933 respectively. Enquiries from the Northern Ireland Office and from the Scottish departments are now dealt with in London.