In 2001, the UK government approved the sale of a £28 million military air traffic control system to Tanzania. The World Bank, which usually steers clear of criticising individual purchases, said that the system was both unsuitable for Tanzania's needs and out of date, and that a civilian system could be purchased for an eighth of the cost. Campaigners argued that the deal should be stopped on the basis that half the population of the country lacked access to clean water. This was also the position of Clare Short, then the International Development Secretary, but she was over-ruled as Tony Blair intervened personally to ensure the deal went through.
