TESCO and Whyte & Mackay have been asked to re-appear at the Scottish Parliament following claims over mistakes in their evidence about minimum alcohol pricing.
Christine Grahame, convener of the health and sport committee, which is debating the alcohol bill, has written to John Beard, chief executive of the whisky distiller, over his evidence that a 50p per unit lower threshold would result in the loss of 3
00 jobs.
In a letter to Mr Beard, she said: "At no point … did you clarify that this estimate was based on a potential UK-wide minimum price and not on the proposals of the Scottish Government."
And in a letter to Mr McElroy, corporate affairs manager at Tesco, she said: "During evidence to the committee on 10 March, Michael Matheson MSP raised the issues of the support expressed by Tesco in its evidence to the House of Commons health select committee inquiry on alcohol.
"This evidence would seem to be at odds with the views you expressed during your oral evidence session with the committee in relation to Tesco's view on the possible introduction of minimum pricing."
Tesco said it would be happy to clarify its position. Whyte & Mackay was unavailable for comment.
Meanwhile, Scottish drinks giant Diageo has said its fears a double-figure tax rise on alcohol in this year's Budget.
The Scotsman has learned that Diageo representatives have been to Whitehall and Westminster in an effort to see off tax rises reportedly planned by the Treasury.
The increases are believed to be part of Chancellor Alistair Darling's attempts to plug the black hole in the Treasury's finances. It is understood he has also come under pressure from Downing Street to raise taxes in a bid to discourage reckless drinking.
A Diageo source told The Scotsman that such a move would have a massive impact on sales and could hit jobs in Scotland.
