The first Government Actuary was Sir Alfred Watson. He was originally appointed to the position of Chief Actuary to the National Health Insurance Joint Committee in 1912. He soon found himself being consulted by other government departments on a variety of matters of an actuarial nature and, in 1917, he was given the title of Government Actuary.
In 1919, the Treasury (the UK finance ministry) announced the creation of the Government Actuary's Department. Accordingly, when amendments were made in 1920 to the unemployment and national health insurance schemes, both bills presented to parliament were accompanied by reports of the Government Actuary on their financial implications.
Even so, it was not until the expansion of the state's role in pensions, social security and health care after World War II that the importance of the profession's contribution to the civil service began to be consistently appreciated.
Since a management review in 1989, all clients have been required to pay fees for our services, and we are expected to recover our costs from fee income. Clients are able to seek the most economical and efficient way of meeting their needs for actuarial advice.
As the role and reputation of GAD has developed, a number of clients from the wider public sector in the UK and from overseas have sought our advice.
Government actuaries from 1917 to the present day
- May 1917- May 1936: Sir Alfred Watson KCB
- May 1936 - Nov 1944: Sir George Epps KBE
- Dec 1944 - Aug 1946: Sir Percy Harvey KBE, CB
- Aug 1946 - Mar 1958: Sir George Maddex KBE
- Apr 1958 - Apr 1973: Sir Herbert Tetley KBE, CB
- May 1973 - Apr 1989: Sir Edward Johnston KBE, CB
- Apr 1989 - Sep 2007: Christopher Daykin CB
- May 2008 - present : Trevor Llanwarne
