The Entertainment Advisory Board has given way to a new body, the Cultural Industries Council.

This was announced on Tuesday by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, in hercontribution to the 2007/08 Budget Debate. In doing so, she disclosed that the new body will have four main functions:

Formulate plans to establish marketing and product

development for the cultural industries;

Develop a comprehensive cultural industries policy;

Establish and manage a Cultural Industries Development Fund, and;

Commission a Cultural Industries Labour Market Survey.

According to the Prime Minister, the Cultural Industries Council will "play a catalytic role" in bringing together relevant public sector bodies and members of the creative industries.

Rationalising the decision, the Prime Minister said that it was in recognition that "we have to take a serious and focused business approach to fully maximising our natural talent and creativity".