[1] 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.
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.
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.
[3] 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.
[6][7] In November 2011 he was appointed by David Cameron as the Prime Minister's independent advisor on ministerial standards.
[13] 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.
[15] David Miliband MP briefly mentioned Alex Allan and his illness in Parliament (17 July 2008): On 13 October 2008 he reportedly responded to an enquiry concerning a personal bookplate (designed by Anne Jope).