I welcome this opportunity to contribute to the case for recognition of this contaminated blood scandal and tragedy and its ongoing consequences to support the campaign for justice by affected families and Haemophilia Wales and the need for full answers as to how it was allowed to happen. Dirprwy Lywydd, my constituent Lynn Ashcroft’s husband, Bill Dumbelton, was a haemophiliac and one of the first to treat himself at home with cryoprecipitate. As a result of contamination, he contracted HIV and hepatitis C and died aged 49, leaving her a widow at 35. Bill had no life insurance: he could not get any as a haemophiliac. Lynn was left to cope with the mortgage and all the other financial pressures. She found available support inadequate and dispiriting and believes the UK Government should ensure financial security for survivors. Lynn says the UK Government has no conscience and has lost the plot. She does not want the one-off £10,000 payment on offer, which she considers insulting.

My constituents Janet and Colin Smith’s lives were torn apart by the death of their son, Colin. Little Colin was a haemophiliac and given a batch of contaminated blood product in the middle of the AIDS crisis. At age 7, after years of suffering, he died in his mother’s arms weighing 13 pounds. Colin and Janet think Little Colin knew he was going to die. He told his brothers they could have his toys. He obviously knew they would get to use them for longer than he would and he had turned to his brother Daniel and said, ‘You will miss me, you know.’ And Daniel does miss him, as do his other brothers, Patrick and Darren. Dirprwy Lywydd, the family have been denied answers as to why the provision of contaminated product was allowed to happen. It was, in fact, a freedom of information request that revealed the blood was from a prison in Arkansas and it wasn’t until three years after his death that Colin’s parents discovered he had hepatitis C. That had been kept secret from them. They continue to be ignored and feel strongly that they have to continue to fight for justice for Little Colin and everybody else affected by this tragedy.

Dirprwy Lywydd, families and Haemophilia Wales have now been waiting some 30 to 40 years for the truth and they are crystal clear: they need a public inquiry to get that truth.