charge of the industrial relations department of the Ministry. His role focused on training after 1929 and the establishment of government training centres, although there remained a lack of training by industry. In 1933 he was appointed as the principal private secretary to Ramsay MacDonald, the prime minister. However, the two men were not suited to each other and in 1934 Barlow was transferred to the Treasury where he remained, rising to a senior position and being a member of several committees that together were concerned with the machinery of government. It has been considered that he made creative changes that improved the civil service. However he did not lead on changes needed as the government intervened more in economic and social policy from the late 1940s onwards. He was in favour of education expenditure, especially in technical and scientific areas. He chaired a committee in 1945 - 1946 that recommended foundation of a new technological university and increasing the number of science graduates, but it was not implemented. He retired in 1948 but continued to be a member of the Advisory Council on Scientific Policy. Barlow was a knight three times over; a baronet and a knight of both the Order of the Bath and the Order of the British Empire: 1918 New Year Honours awarded CBE 1928 New Year Honours awarded CB The King's Birthday Honours 1938 awarded KBE The King's Birthday Honours 1942 awarded KCB 1947 New Year Honours awarded GCB References External links http://www.barlowgenealogy.com/england/royalty/SirAlan.htm THE BARLOW COLLECTION - Art History - University of Sussex English art collectors 1881 births 1968 deaths Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Principal Private Secretaries to the Prime Minister