There's a single word that describes an apparent question that actually has an embedded statement. Heavily used by lawyers, and in fact their main trick for tripping people up, combined with permitting only "yes" or "no" answers. An example - "have you stopped beating your wife?".

Can you think what this word is, because I can't and I can't even think how to go about looking it up?

I think you are referring to a straw man argument...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

Leading questions are used when desiring a 'yes' or 'no' answer, which is, or should be, already known by the examiner.

Close, but not what I'm looking for. Not quite the same meaning, and in any case I'm looking for a single word. Whether it's a noun or an adjective I can't remember, but I believe it's the latter.

As ILuvBelize suggested, Leading is probably it.

No, a leading question is one that presupposes the desired answer, or one that actually supplies the answer in the question. What I am looking for (see my example) is not that - it's more a sort of paradox. What can you answer to "have you stopped beating your wife" without incriminating yourself?

The word you're looking for might be embedded somewhere in this article. I didn't find it right off the bat.

http://www.springerlink.com/content/l1127227t5240w66/

Then I can't help you. Where is Leah-ann when you need her?

Right, a LEADING question is "You were beating your wife, weren't you?" It assumes the answer.

On the other hand, a LOADED question is "When did you stop beating your wife?" It really has no proper answer, assuming that you have never beat your wife, except to deny the whole question.

There may be another name for it, but loaded question is what it's usually called.

--Lan Sluder

Again close but not it.

Belizeandme - I had a look at that article but I'm only allowed to view the first page and my word isn't there. I'm not going to spend US$34 to download the whole article on the offchance it might contain the word I want!