1. S. Benjamin (J.S.S.17, 93) advocates a re-examination of actuarial methods with a view to taking advantage of the capabilities of electronic computers. A somewhat specialized field of actuarial work where such a re-examination is profitable is mortality graduation by means of curve fitting. This field is a specialized one because, in practical actuarial work, graduation can usually be done adequately by straightforward means—for example, a graphic graduation of withdrawal rates for a pension scheme valuation. Full-scale curve fitting is usually reserved for the graduation of assured lives mortality experiences.

1.1. The principal field of work in which the actuary is engaged is still that of life assurance, and over the years the tremendous growth of life companies has necessitated the individual actuary specializing in one or other of the various branches of life assurance work. In this paper, the authors, each of whom is intimately concerned with the formation of a new life assurance organization, seek to examine many of the elements affecting a new office, and hope by so doing to present the problems as a whole rather than as the separate compartments in which many practising actuaries find themselves.

At the present time the non-life side of the insurance industry is faced with many difficult problems. The poor results often shown by motor insurance accounts are bringing many insurance men to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible to conduct the business on a sound basis and that they must regard it as an onerous public service. Fire insurance business, for so long the backbone of many general insurance accounts, has caused increasing concern in recent years as the national level of fire wastage and the proportion of large fires have continued to increase. It seems worth while therefore, to ask whether the statistician can help to solve some of the problems of transacting non-life insurance in these circumstances. In this paper the author draws on three years' experience of research into the statistical aspects of general insurance to paint a broad picture of a scene unfamiliar to most actuaries. It is hoped that attention is thereby drawn to the potential value in this context of the techniques of probability and mathematical statistics.

The papers submitted under Subject 4 of the 1964 Congress in London and Edinburgh were those concerned with the practical application of modern statistical techniques in all branches of insurance.

Fourteen papers from eight countries were presented for discussion in London, and the purpose of this note is to outline and comment briefly on the content of these papers—the discussions on related topics which took place in Edinburgh are not included in this review.

Statistical methods in general being of fairly recent origin it is not at once obvious whether a particular technique qualifies as modern or not, but I would think it fair to take it that, normally, the calculation of premiums, involving the intelligent classification of risks and the analysis of experience, comes within the field of classical statistical methods.