Charities, churches and other institutions where child abuse took place should be required to pay into a fund to help support victims, according to an MSP.

Labour's Graeme Pearson said institutions in which child abuse is known to have taken place could help provide the fund for survivors of abuse while an inquiry into what happened to them takes place.

The Scottish Government has announced a £13.5m survivor support fund, which will prioritise the needs of older historic child abuse victims, some of whom are not expected to live to see the end of the four year inquiry.

As the Herald reported yesterday, the inquiry has already cost more than £600,000 and the final cost will run into the tens of millions of pounds.

But Mr Pearson, who has supported groups representing abuse victims, said the cost of the support fund should not fall only on tax-payers.

He said: "It should not be solely the responsibility of the government to provide finance for that.

"There are already a number of organisations which over a long period of time failed in their responsibilities to these children. I would have expected them to contribute to this fund."

He said it was not the case that abuse victims were queueing up to seek damages or compensation, but that many need financial help or assistance with costs such as counselling. "I would see this as an opportunity for survivors to get some kind of support in good faith. My sense is there are not thousands of people queuing up to provide evidence to the inquiry and there isn't a queue of people looking for damages," Mr Pearson said.

Andi Lavery, spokesman for the group White Flowers Alba, which campaigns on behalf of people abused in the care of the Catholic church, said he 'absolutely' agreed with the call for organisations to help bear the cost of supporting abuse survivors.

"People are living in poverty exacerbating what is already a horrendous situation," he said.

He said many had mental health problems and some regularly contemplated suicide. "We need resources to help people be safe. Angela Constance says the support fund will be open 'after the summer' but we've been hearing that for three years. We need immediate financial and medical help now," he said.

Education secretary Angela Constance has announced a survivor support fund with a budget of

£13.5m to spend over five years. She said it would the needs of older survivors would be prioritised and they would have their needs assessed and have access to the fund by June.

Last summer an independent report into abuse in the Catholic Church by former chief prisons inspector Andrew MacLellan said the church should apologise and take comprehensive action, including setting up a fund to pay for counselling for abuse victims.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, chaired by Susan O'Brien QC is to look into abuse in residential settings run by councils, churches, charities and also in foster care.