Overview

• Treasury minister Lucy Rigby told Parliament there is no legal requirement for businesses to accept specific payment forms and said the Government has no plans to change the law.
• Her statement followed a question from Liberal Democrat MP Angus MacDonald about Wetherspoon’s policy on Scottish banknotes in its English pubs.
• JD Wetherspoon continues to refuse Scottish £20 and £50 notes in England after introducing the policy in November 2024, with exemptions in Scotland and some closely linked towns and cities.
• The pub chain said it acted after being notified by the Bank of England about large numbers of counterfeit Scottish £20 notes linked to organised crime and it will keep the decision under review.
• Rigby noted the UK’s multi‑issuer banknote system and pointed to the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023, which introduced access‑to‑cash protections and gave the Bank of England new powers over wholesale cash distribution.