Victims of historical child abuse have been paid more than £54 million in compensation to date, according to official figures.

The sum has been revealed as the agency responsible for accessing and administering the payments has published its latest report.

The document, published this morning by Redress Scotland, shows that £22.7 million was paid during the 2022/20023 financial year.

It also reveals that the organisation received and assessed 649 applications for redress in the last year.

Most awards were level 4 and level 5 awards – the highest awards available scheme (£80,000 and £100,000 respectively). Some 39% of all decisions made on individually assessed applications resulted in Level 5 awards.

Applications from survivors with a terminal illness or those over the age of 68 years of age continue to be treated as a priority.

Redress Scotland was created following the passage of legislation - guided through Parliament by former Deputy First Minister John Swinney - in 2021.

Survivors of child abuse which took place before 2004 in a care setting or in foster care are eligible to apply.

Kirsty Darwent, chair of Redress Scotland, said: “Overall, in 2022 - 2023, we received and assessed 649 applications. We convened 163 panels to carefully consider these applications and make decisions.

"The decisions made this past year by our Redress Scotland panel led to almost £22.7 million being paid out by the Scottish Government to survivors.

“There is, however, much more work to be done. Redress Scotland was founded on values of dignity, compassion and respect. We will be guided by this as we continue our work and improve our practices, keeping survivors at the centre of everything we do.”

It emerged last month that almost 2000 people had been kept waiting on a decision over their compensation claims. The Scottish Government said Redress Scotland were recruiting new panel members to be in place early next year, so that determinations on applications can be made at a faster rate.

There have also been concerns that law firms were charging as much as 10% of the compensation awards to survivors for their services.

Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene welcomed the payments being made to victims but raised concerns over survivors waiting for their application to be processed.

“It is vitally important that brave survivors continue to receive compensation in a timely fashion.

“It is welcome to see that progress has been made in prioritising cases that need to be seen as a matter of urgency.

“However, we know that far too often many survivors are still having to suffer lengthy delays.

“No one should have had to resort to no fee lawyers to access compensation for this scheme – it was designed to be simple and easy to access.

“The SNP’s justice secretary must continue to ensure the scheme has every resource it needs to process applications from survivors as quickly as possible.”

Opening the scheme in 2021, the former Deputy First Minister said:  “As a nation, we are taking this step together to acknowledge and address the injustices of the past.

“I hope the survivors and the families of those who are no longer with us, whose tenacity and determination have led us to this milestone can feel a sense of justice today.

“Out of the horror they endured, the silence they were forced to keep in childhood and beyond, they fought for recognition.

“Part of that recognition is delivered today by this scheme.”

Mr Swinney reiterated the government’s apology for the delay in setting up an inquiry into child abuse between 2002 and 2014.

The scheme will also offer emotional support and formal apologies from organisations including homes run by the state and religious orders, such as Nazareth House, in Kilmarnock, in which the abuse took place.

A number of organisations which were responsible for care of children have signed up to contribute to the scheme.

Mr Swinney said “dignity, respect and compassion” would be the hallmark of the redress scheme.

Separately to the redress Scotland, the Scottish Government also set up an independent inquiry in 2015 into historical abuse in residential and foster care after a long running campaign by survivors.

Chaired by Lady Anne Smith it is examining what happened, why and where abuse took place as well as its effects on children and their families and whether the organisations responsible for children in care failed in their duties.

It is considering evidence from within living memory up to December 17 2014.

In September 2021, the Scottish Government apologised "unreservedly" for what was described as a "woeful and wholly avoidable" 13-year delay in setting up the public inquiry.

Lady Smith had said the government "failed to grasp" the survivors' need for justice.

"They were treated as if their views were not worth listening to - just like when they were in care," she added.