9.7 The Government continues to be committed to working with the private sector and their funders to identify new approaches to financing PFI projects which may offer value for money benefits. In assessing any new financing schemes, the Government will seek to ensure:
• that it retains the benefits of risk sharing with the private sector, including with the funders of the PFI project (as set out in Chapter 3);
• that it avoids any Government guarantee of the funding raised; and
• that it does not interfere unduly with the ability of the private sector to raise funds for their project or add costly delays to the procurement process.
9.8 Within this framework, the Government will always be interested in proposals which reduce the costs associated with private finance, but which do not compromise its desire to ensure that the disciplines, value for money and risk sharing brought by private financiers to the PFI process are retained. At present, the Government wishes to pursue further two new financing schemes, set out below, which may achieve these objectives.