THE family of a Newport boy who was one of the victims of the contaminated blood scandal, are demanding to know why hundreds of parents and children have not been compensated for the deaths of loved ones.

Colin and Janet Smith, of Newport, are among many across the UK, who have not received a penny in compensation - or any other payments - despite losing a child to illnesses caused by them having received in the 1970s or 1980s, blood or blood products contaminated with HIV or hepatitis C.

The children of victims are similarly not part of any payment schemes, which focus on victims and bereaved partners.

The Smiths' son, also called Colin, died aged seven years in 1990, having received a clotting agent - Factor VIII - that contained contaminated blood products, to treat haemophilia.

On Wednesday, it was announced that cash support for victims of the scandal is to be levelled out across the UK. Until now, victims in Wales had received £14,000 less than those in England.

Janet and Colin Smith

Janet and Colin Smith

But the new approach will not help Mr and Mrs Smith (above) and many others who still have not received a penny in support - for parents, and children who have lost a parent, are not included in any payments connected to the scandal.

"Hundreds of families lost children, some lost two children, and hundreds of children lost parents - but we are not included by either the UK or devolved governments," said Mr Smith.

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"This has been going on since the start of support schemes 20 or 30 years ago, though it has always been made to sound like parents and children have been supported.

"Because he was a child and not the breadwinner, they said we were not entitled to anything. It is the same for children who have lost parents," said Mr Smith.

Colin Smith

Colin Smith

Colin Smith

"The original payments are for the infected themselves. We get no support. We've never, ever had any payment. No family who has lost children do."

Mr and Mrs Smith have been fighting for answers ever since their son died, and that fight - along with those of thousands of others - continues to this day.

Wales, like the other devolved nations, has its own payment scheme for those infected, and Mr Smith said he wants to know why parents who have lost children, and children who have lost parents, are not included.

"The drawback though, is that this has been going on so long that when it started, there was no Welsh Government. Ideally we'd want it settled by the UK Government," he said.

The South Wales Argus would like to wholeheartedly apologise to Colin and Janet Smith and family for incorrectly reporting that they would be receiving additional financial support as a result of the decision taken by the Welsh Government earlier this week.

In fact they have never received any financial support or compensation despite the loss of their son, Colin.

Our report was an honest mistake but we should have spoken to them prior to publication, which we failed to do, and we are very sorry for the upset caused to them or anyone else affected by the same issues.

The Smiths gave evidence to the ongoing Infected Blood Inquiry chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff. It is not the first inquiry into the scandal, but it is the first in which they have any faith.

"We've had so many false promises over the years - one minute we think it is settled, then the next there is backtracking," said Mr Smith.

"We have 100 per cent confidence in him (Sir Brian). The levelling up of payments announced on Wednesday was his suggestion."

The UK Government has also announced this week its intention to appoint an independent reviewer to carry out a study into options for a framework for compensation, intended to inform the Government’s preparations for what the current inquiry may recommend.

This is separate from that inquiry, but Sir Brian said earlier this week: "I anticipate that the Inquiry will want to hear from the reviewer once the proposals are published, and that all core participants will have the opportunity to express their views to me on those proposals."

The Argus has approached the Welsh Government for a response.