The position of Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was a British ministerial position, subordinate to that of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, created in 1925 to deal with British relations with the Dominions – Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State. In 1947 the office was replaced by the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations. ## Under-Secretaries of State for Dominion Affairs, 1925-47[edit] * 1925: Earl of Clarendon * 1927: Lord Lovat * 1929: Earl of Plymouth * 1929: Arthur Ponsonby * 1929: William Lunn * 1931: Malcolm MacDonald * 1935: Lord Stanley * 1935: Douglas Hacking * 1936: Marquess of Hartington * 1940: Geoffrey Shakespeare * 1942: Paul Emrys-Evans * 1945: John Parker * 1946: Arthur Bottomley ## Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for Dominion Affairs, 1925-47[edit] The post lasted as long as the office itself, from 1925 to 1947 with the last Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, Sir Eric Machtig, transferring in 1947 to become the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, jointly with A. Carter formerly of the India Office. Name | Entered office | Left office | | Sir Charles Davis | 1925 | 1930 Sir Edward Harding | 1930 | 1939 Sir Eric Machtig (acting) | 1939 | 1940 Sir Cosmo Parkinson | 1940 | 1940 Sir Eric Machtig | 1940 | 1947 History of English and British government departments with responsibility for foreign affairs and those with responsibility for the colonies, dominions and the Commonwealth Northern Department 1660–1782 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Foreign Office 1782–1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1968–2020 * * * Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office since 2020 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | | Southern Department 1660–1768 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Colonial Office 1768–1782 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Home Office 1782–1794 Secretaries Undersecretaries | War Office 1794–1801 Secretaries Undersecretaries | War and Colonial Office 1801–1854 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Colonial Office 1854–1925 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Colonial Office 1925–1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | Commonwealth Office 1966–1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries Southern Department 1768–1782 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Dominions Office 1925–1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Commonwealth Relations Office 1947–1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries . | India Office 1858–1937 Secretaries Undersecretaries | India Office and Burma Office 1937–1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries