PERHAPS Matthew Laverack takes exception to my comments (Letters, August 7) as I have placed his misleading assertions under the spotlight.

Yet again, he has produced no evidence to substantiate his previous comments that the introduction of the minimum wage was a prelude to higher youth unemployment.

As someone who worked in the private sector for more than 20 years, and has experience of running a business, I can concur however that running a sustainable business is challenging.

Nevertheless, while evidence-based claims are important, the evidence must be relevant.

To conflate the Zurich survey (which referred particularly to the difficulties SME organisations experience in securing financing, while acknowledging that most SMEs are feeling better about the risks they face) with the living wage argument (which the report did not refer to) is simply disingenuous.

Let us see if Mr Laverack and I can find common ground.

If we take larger supermarket retailers – Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Lidl, Aldi, Morrisons, Asda – as an example, does he think they should pay a living wage which supports an employee’s rights to be paid enough to provide their basic needs?

Or does he think that the Government should continue to subsidise these large corporations with tax credits and other benefit payments so that their shareholders can receive enhanced returns?

Richard Bridge, Holgate Road, York.