Politicians often accuse the press of quoting selectively.

But it seems journalists are not the only ones to indulge in the practice.

In a recent consultation on speeding up justice in the county courts, justice secretary Kenneth Clarke outlined the case for reform by suggesting: ‘A newer burden on the system is the move towards a compensation culture, driven by litigation.’

He then went on to quote an example from Lord Young’s review of health and safety, in which Young bemoaned individuals who exploit the system by suing businesses for disproportionate amounts.

But Clarke neglected to mention what Young himself actually said about the ‘compensation culture’, which was one of the key focuses of his review.

Young found that the problem was one of ‘perception rather than reality’.

Strange how that perception just won’t seem to go away - or maybe not, when even senior politicians keep harking back to it when it suits them.