§ Mr. WhiteTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in establishing the land rights of the Tapeba Indians in the state of Ceara, Brazil; and how many hectares have been demarcated. [52432]
159W
§ Mr. Tony LloydEmbassy officials in Brasilia maintain regular contact with the authorities responsible for the demarcation of Indian lands.
4,658 hectares will be allocated to the Tapeba. The period for legal challenge to this decision lapsed on Friday 24 July, meaning that physical demarcation can now proceed. A company has been selected to carry out the physical demarcation and the tender for this was expected to be ratified by the President of FUNAI (the National Foundation for Assistance to Indians) on 27 July.