The Board of Trade, originally the Lords of Trade and Plantations or Lords of Trade, is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. It was first established as a temporary committee of England's Privy Council to advise on colonial (plantation) questions in the early 17th century, when these settlements were initially forming. The Board evolved gradually into a government department with considerable power and a diverse range of functions. Between 1696 and 1782 colonial affairs, particularly in British America, were the responsibility of the Board of Trade in partnership with the various secretaries of state over that time. The Home Secretary held colonial responsibility until 1801 when the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was established.