What can you buy for £28 million? Basic health care for 3.5 million people in one of the poorest countries in the world, that's what.

Oxfam is very concerned the Government is backing the sale of a British Aerospace military air traffic control system to Tanzania at a cost of $40 million (£28 million).

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an income per head of £170 a year. Half the population is without access to clean drinking water. One in four children dies before the age of five. Of those children who survive, only half will go to school.

The news that the Government is thinking about agreeing this deal is extremely disturbing, especially since the World Bank has condemned the project. Tanzania last month qualified for a £1.4 billion debt relief package. It would be far better to use this money to boost spending on health care and education.

The sale of military air traffic control equipment to Tanzania exposes a flaw in the Export Control Bill, at present making its way through Parliament. The bill originally contained a clause on sustainable development, which meant all large export deals would be judged on whether they would have an adverse effect on a country's development. Oxfam is calling for it to be reinstated.

The bill needs to be toughened up to ensure deals like this don't undermine the fight against poverty.

-Roger Elbourne, Oxfam campaigner for Brighton and Hove