Traditional procurement was ruled out because capital funding was unavailable

2.5 The Service ruled out traditional procurement as a means of delivering the new courthouse because it was clear from the outset that funds would not be available. When the PFI was introduced in the 1990s, uncommitted capital allocations were removed from the Service's expenditure plans and monies earmarked for the project were lost. The Service believed there was an obligation to go down the PFI route and arguments against doing so would not be accepted without the PFI market being tested.