Alex Allan

Sir Alexander Claud Stuart Allan KCB (born 9 February 1951) is a senior British civil servant who was, until 2011, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Head of Intelligence Assessment for Her Majesty's Government.[1] He is currently the Prime Minister's Independent advisor on ministerial standards.[2]

This article is about the civil servant. For the Scottish rugby union player, see Alex Allan (rugby union). For the Scottish footballer, see Alex Allan (footballer).

The Honourable Sir Alex Allan KCB
Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee
In office 15 November 2007 – 2011
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown David Cameron
Preceded by	Sir Richard Mottram as Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience
Succeeded by	Sir Jon Day
Clerk of the Crown in Chancery
In office 1 August 2004 – 15 November 2007
Prime Minister	Gordon Brown David Cameron
Lord Chancellor	Lord Falconer of Thoroton Jack Straw
Preceded by	Sir Hayden Phillips
Succeeded by	Sir Suma Chakrabarti
British High Commissioner to Australia
In office 1 September 1997 – 31 January 1999
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Preceded by	Sir Roger Carrick
Succeeded by	Sir Alastair Goodlad
Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
In office 1992–1997
Prime Minister	John Major Tony Blair
Preceded by	Andrew Turnbull
Succeeded by	John Holmes
Personal details
Born	9 February 1951
Nationality	British
Relations	Robert Allan, Baron Allan of Kilmahew (father)
Residence	London
Alma mater	Harrow School Cambridge University University College London
Occupation	Civil servant

Early life

Allan is the son of Robert Allan, Baron Allan of Kilmahew. Between 1964 and 1969 Allan was educated at Harrow School, followed by obtaining a BA (Hon) degree in Mathematics from Clare College, Cambridge in 1972. In 1973 he also received an MSc degree in Statistics from University College London.

Civil Service career

• 1973 to 1992 – Allan had various appointments in Customs & Excise and HM Treasury, aside from two years as a freelance computer consultant in Australia (1983–1985).
• 1992 to 1997 – he was the principal private secretary to the Prime Minister (John Major to April 1997, and Tony Blair to Aug 1997).
• 1997 to 1999 – he was the British High Commissioner to Australia.
• 1999 to 2000 – he was e-Envoy for the British Government (succeeded by Andrew Pinder).
• 2001 to 2004 – he moved to Western Australia, where he worked on a range of IT, government and international issues. This included chairman of the inaugural iVEC board.

Permanent Secretary of the Department for Constitutional Affairs

Allan was the first Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, having been the last Permanent Secretary of the Department for Constitutional Affairs from which it was created, together with the addition of HM Prison Service and the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, which were taken from the Home Office. Allan served in both of these roles from 1 August 2004 to 15 November 2007. An historical attribute of the role of Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and its predecessor departments (which included the Lord Chancellor's Department) is that it carries with it the role of Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, an ancient Office, which entails responsibility for overseeing the creation of Letters Patent under the Great Seal, discharged by the Crown Office, itself based in the House of Lords. The Clerk of the Crown in Chancery also has various other responsibilities, including the State Opening of Parliament, and the Prorogation of Parliament. Until the role of the Lord Speaker was carved out of that of the Lord Chancellor, the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery occupied one of Parliament's most prestigious rooms, adjacent to those of the Lord Chancellor. Allan was the last Permanent Secretary and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery to enjoy this splendid room, which he agreed to surrender to the House Authorities so that they could provide suitable accommodation for the newly created Lord Speaker. The only alternative would have been for his political master, the Lord Chancellor, to have given up his room.

On 17 October 2006, Allan submitted oral evidence to the Constitutional Affairs Committee. He was questioned on the 're-organisation of the centre of the Department' (for constitutional affairs) which he stated in his annual report. Allan was asked what he thought were the key changes he had made to the department since his two years in the post. He stated that the key changes to the Department for Constitutional affairs were structural. Allan admitted the department faced big challenges and that there was a lot still to be done. Allan was also questioned over the 'chaos' of the Oracle system (a computer system used by the department).[3]

On 6 February 2007 Allan attended a meeting with the management board for the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). His duty was to brief the board about the Department for Constitutional Affairs' approach to information rights and the ICO itself.[4] In this meeting Allan recognised inadequate pay as being a key issue in the ICO and across the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

On 4 July 2007, before the Constitutional Affairs Committee, Allan was asked whether he had written an article for MP Vera Baird in the Times. He denied the accusation.[5]

Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC)

On 15 November 2007 he was appointed Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Head of Intelligence Assessment. Allan's role is to collect intelligence from the Security Service, MI5, the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, GCHQ and other sources of intelligence, and present them to ministers as threats develop.[6] He has access to the Prime Minister at all times and also top secret US and UK intelligence reports.

Allan was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2012 New Year Honours.[7][8]

Personal life

Allan is responsible for a Grateful Dead lyric and song finder website.[9]

Allan windsurfed to work in a suit and bowler hat down the Thames during a train strike.[10] He published his personal details on his own website, including his address, telephone number and details of family and friends, which was described by a security official as "a serious breach".[10] Allan lists bridge and computers as his interests.

Illness

On 3 July 2008 it was reported that Allan was unconscious and seriously ill in hospital after he collapsed at his home earlier in the week. Government sources said that there was no sign of foul play.[11] It has been suggested by the media that Allan was poisoned by one of several organisations, including Al Qaeda, or the Russian Government, but this was dismissed by New Scotland Yard.[12] On 10 July 2008 a Cabinet Office spokesman said Allan had regained consciousness but for now would remain in hospital to regain his strength.[13]

David Miliband MP briefly mentioned Alex Allan and his illness in Parliament (17 July 2008):

Very briefly, I would like to put it on record that I have known Alex Allan for 11 years now, and a couple of hon. Members referred to his recent illness and passed on their best wishes to him. I am delighted to say that he will be able to recognise the warmth and strength of that feeling when it is passed on to him in hospital. I am sure that we all wish him a speedy and full recovery from his illness.[14]

On 13 October 2008 he reportedly responded to an enquiry concerning a personal bookplate (designed by Anne Jope).[15] The unusual bookplate depicts a skeletal figure operating a computer.

Nearly a year later (6 June 2009), Allan was seen in public.[16] No explanation has been given of what happened to him.

References

1. Allan, Sir Alex (November 2011). "ALLAN, Alexander Claud Stuart". Who's Who 2012, online edition. A & C Black. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
2. The Prime Minister's adviser on Ministers' interests: independent or not?, www.parliament.uk (2012)
3. "Minutes of evidence before Constitutional Affairs Committee". United Kingdom Parliament. 17 October 2006. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
4. "Minutes of 6 February". Information Commissioners Office. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016.
5. "Minutes of evidence before Constitutional Affairs Committee". United Kingdom Parliament. 4 June 2006. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
6. "Senior British intelligence official is in coma". Associated Press through google. 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
7. "No. 60009". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2011. p. 2.
8. New Year Honours List 2012: full list, Telegraph.co.uk
9. "Grateful Dead Lyric And Song Finder". Allan, Alex. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
10. Winnett, Robert (16 November 2007). "New intelligence chief reveals all on website". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
11. "Top spy seriously ill in hospital". BBC. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
12. Brogan, Benedict (4 July 2008). "British spy chief in coma as Yard denies assassination claims". Daily Mail. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.
13. "UK spying chief emerges from coma". BBC. 10 July 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
14. See Hansard.
15. "British Bookplates, More Research Required". Bookplatejunkie. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
16. See Pictured: Alive and Tweeting...the spy who nearly died in coma mystery

Offices held

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Sir Roger Carrick	High Commissioner to Australia 1997–1999	Succeeded by Sir Alastair Goodlad
Government offices
Preceded by Sir Hayden Phillips	Permanent Secretary of the Department for Constitutional Affairs 2004–2007	Succeeded by Sir Suma Chakrabarti Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice
Preceded by Sir Richard Mottram Permanent Secretary, Intelligence, Security and Resilience	Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee 2007–2011	Succeeded by Jon Day

External links

• Whitegum.com – personal website
• "Alex Allan: Career". Alex and Katie's Home Page. Archived from the original on 17 May 2006. Retrieved 9 April 2006.
• "Alex Allan". Department for Constitutional Affairs. Retrieved 9 April 2006.