The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) is marking its centenary in 2019. The department was formed under the Treasury in 1919 following a report (‘the Haldane Report’) from the Ministry of Reconstruction.
New department
The Haldane Report, published by the old Machinery of Government Committee, recommended a major reorganisation of government. As part of this, Haldane recognised the need for a single department of government actuaries. It drew on the fact that during the war, the government had received actuarial advice on war pensions and shipping.
In recommending the creation of a Government Actuary’s Department, the Haldane Report stated: “Work of this character may best be performed at a common centre (which) concentrates in itself an amount of knowledge, beyond the grasp of actuaries exclusively employed in a single Department.”
Marking GAD100
Throughout 2019, GAD’s actuaries, analysts and support staff will be celebrating ‘GAD100’. We will mark our successes, highlight our role in government and reinforce our contributions to the wider actuarial profession. Reflecting on the GAD100 programme, the Government Actuary Martin Clarke said: “This is a fantastic milestone for us as a department and I feel privileged to be the ninth Government Actuary since GAD’s creation.
“We’ll be looking at how our skills and services have developed over the past 100 years. When GAD was created the focus was primarily on analysis related to the state pension. Now, our services support government decision-making in much wider areas including actuarial advice on insurance and health related matters, as well as financial and demographic modelling.
“GAD100 is the ideal opportunity to celebrate the central role we play in using our skill to help our clients deliver their policies.”
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