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Wetherspoon wary on minimum price plans

JD Wetherspoon has said that minimum pricing in Scotland could give it a short-term boost by making its pubs more competitive against supermarkets.

But the company, which has 54 hostelries in Scotland, said it is wary of the long-term consequences of Government intervention.

The chain’s outspoken chairman Tim Martin yesterday hit out at the tax burden being borne by pubs after the group posted a 5.9% drop in pre-tax profit to £66.8 million for the year to July 24 in the face of rising costs.