Sterling has fallen sharply against the US dollar after growth in the UK manufacturing sector slowed markedly in April.

Financial data company Markit said its monthly Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing fell to 51.9 in April from 54 in March.
Although a figure above 50 still indicates expansion, the fall was the biggest since February 2013.
The pound was down more than 2 cents, or 1.4%, to $1.5139.
Sterling also fell against the euro to â‚¬1.352.
Companies said the strength of the pound against the euro was affecting competitiveness in the eurozone.
The Markit survey follows the release of official figures on Tuesday that showed the UK's economic growth rate halved to 0.3% in the first quarter of the year.
Rob Dobson, senior economist at Markit, said: "Today's UK PMI delivered less-than-positive news on the health of the manufacturing sector.
"Any signs of rebalancing the economy towards manufacturing and exports remain frustratingly elusive."
The survey found that new export orders fell at the fastest rate since January 2013, job creation was   "modest", and manufacturers cut prices at their fastest rate in almost six years.
In recent months, the pound has gained in value against the euro. In March, it was at its highest level compared with the single currency in seven years, making UK goods more expensive in the eurozone.
At the same time, sterling has weakened against the dollar, and the survey said prices paid for goods priced in dollars had risen.
David Tinsley, an economist at UBS, said: "The source of the drop [in the PMI] may be an indicator that the appreciation of sterling against the euro is having an impact on UK manufacturing competitiveness.
"One would hope that as the upswing in the eurozone gains traction demand may begin to compensate for the currency move, but it's a reminder that monetary policy will need to be sensitive to the pound."
However, Lee Hopley, chief economist at EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, said: "It would be premature to write off manufacturing's contribution to growth in the future, not least because continued employment growth points to some confidence about longer-term prospects."


The UK's dominant services sector weakened in February, registering its slowest rate of growth for nearly three years, a survey has indicated.

The latest Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 52.7 last month, down from January's reading of 55.6.
Any figure above 50 means expansion, but the rise in service sector activity was the weakest since March 2013.
The service sector accounts for more than three-quarters of the UK economy.
Surveys from Markit/CIPS earlier in the week put the manufacturing sector's PMI at 50.8 and construction at 54.2.
"The weaker increase in services activity mainly reflected a slower expansion in the volume of incoming new business," the survey said.
Markit chief economist Chris Williamson added: "Survey responses reveal that firms are worried about signs of faltering demand, but boardrooms have also become unsettled by concerns regarding the increased risk of 'Brexit', financial market volatility and weak economic growth at home and abroad."
He added that the extent of the slowdown would come as a "shock" to policymakers and would put an end to talk of a possible interest rate rise.
Mr Williamson described February's three PMI readings as "a triple whammy of disappointing survey news".
Last week, official figures confirmed that the UK economy grew 0.5% in the final three months of 2015, with the services sector highlighted as the key factor driving growth.
The Office for National Statistics said the "buoyancy" of services had offset the "relative sluggishness" of the rest of the UK economy.
Signs of weakening growth in the UK economy have pushed back estimates of when the Bank of England might begin to raise interest rates.
Commenting on the latest PMI survey, Jeremy Cook, chief economist at World First, said: "The May Bank of England meeting had previously been seen as a possible time for a rate hike. The volatility of global markets and the self-inflicted wound of the EU referendum put paid to that months ago.
"We still believe, however, that some measures that foresee the Bank of England holding rates at 0.5% until 2020 are little short of absurd."
Martin Beck, senior economic adviser to the EY Item Club, said the PMI readings would provide "plenty of food for thought" for the Bank of England's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee.
He added: "Members will have to judge the degree to which the surveys are flagging a genuine slowdown in activity growth, or merely reacting to the negative headlines since the start of the year. In reality, growth may be softening, but perhaps not as sharply as the survey data suggest."
Meanwhile, a similar survey indicated that eurozone businesses had their worst month for more than a year in February, bolstering the case for more monetary policy easing by the European Central Bank.
Markit's final composite PMI, which is regarded as a good guide to growth, fell to 53 last month from January's 53.6 - its lowest reading since the start of 2015.
However, that was better than the preliminary reading of 52.7 and well above the 50 mark that denotes growth.


Mae rhai ysgolion yn "chwarae'r system" arholiadau, a hynny drwy roi cyfle i blant wneud arholiadau yn gynnar, medd cyfarwyddwr addysg Llywodraeth Cymru.

Dywedodd Steve Davies wrth ACau fod swyddogion yn "bryderus" am nifer y disgyblion oedd yn ymgeisio yn gynnar.
Mae'r sylwadau yn dilyn beirniadaeth gan yr Ysgrifennydd Addysg, Kirsty Williams, fod plant yn "bancio" gyda chymwysterau is.
Dywedodd Mr Davies fod y llywodraeth am weithredu ar y mater yn yr hydref.
Fe fynegodd Ms Williams bryderon yn gynharach ym mis Mai bod ffocws ysgolion wedi bod ar godi cyrhaeddiad TGAU i raddau C.
Dywedodd bod hynny wedi arwain at "ganlyniadau anfwriadol", gyda rhai plant yn gwneud yr arholiadau yn gynnar er mwyn bancio cymhwyster is, yn hytrach na cheisio cyrraedd graddau uwch.
Fe ofynnodd yr AC Llafur, Lee Waters wrth y gwas sifil os oedd "ceisio arholiadau yn gynnar yn ffordd o chwarae'r system", a dywedodd mai cyngor Llywodraeth Cymru oedd bod penderfyniadau ynghylch y mater er "budd pob plentyn yn unigol".
Dywedodd wrth Bwyllgor Cyfrifon Cyhoeddus y Cynulliad bod rhai ysgolion wedi caniatáu i ddisgyblion geisio'r arholiadau yn gynnar er mwyn "profi'r system".
Ond ychwanegodd: "Dwi hefyd yn credu... bod rhai ysgolion yn chwarae'r system."
Dywedodd Mr Davies fod y llywodraeth yn gweithio gyda Chymwysterau Cymru (QW) i nodi "maint y broblem" gyda disgwyl adroddiad gan y corff ym mis Medi.
Ychwanegodd fod Ms Williams yn "ymwybodol iawn o'r mater" gan ychwanegu y bydd camau yn cael eu cymryd "ar ddechrau tymor yr hydref" yn dilyn yr adolygiad.


West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has announced his retirement from international cricket.

The Guyanese left-hander, 41, made his Test debut in 1994 but was dropped after West Indies' home series against England in May 2015.
With 11,867 runs from 164 Tests, he retires as the Windies' second highest run-scorer, only 45 short of Brian Lara's record of 11,912.
He is also the seventh-highest Test run-scorer of all time.
Chanderpaul also played in 268 one-day internationals - where he scored another 8,778 runs - including five World Cups, as well as 22 Twenty20 internationals.
He was the International Cricket Council's top-ranked Test batsman for several spells, and also appeared in English county cricket for Durham, Lancashire, Warwickshire and Derbyshire.
While his unorthodox batting stance and obdurate, limpet-like adhesion to the crease saw him occasionally nicknamed "The Crab", Chanderpaul's record of 30 Test centuries at a career average in excess of 50 marks him down as one of the most prolific batsmen of his generation.


A submarine car used in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me has been sold for £550,000.

The Lotus Esprit sold for less than the guide price despite a bidding war between a woman in the auction room and a telephone bidder who took the prized collector's piece.
The car, said to be fully operational,  was used in the underwater scene of the 1977 film starring Roger Moore as 007.
After filming it toured various car shows before being stored in New York.
It was sold at RM Auctions in Battersea, south-west London, for less than the estimated price of between £650,000 and £950,000.
In had previously been auctioned as a blind lot in 1989.
Peter Haynes, from the auction house, said: "Bearing in mind it is not a car that can be driven on the road, the price just goes to prove the draw that all Bond-related memorabilia has."


Two wards at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary have been closed following a norovirus outbreak.

A total of 19 patients and three members of staff have been affected by the sickness and diarrhoea bug since 1 May.
The NHS board has shut wards 12 and 18 at the Dumfries hospital to new admissions, transfers and routine visiting.
An earlier outbreak led to the closure of four wards in March and April.
A spokeswoman for the board said the viral infection was spreading through the community.
She said anyone who has experienced sickness and diarrhoea should not visit the hospital until 48 hours after the symptoms have cleared.
Family and friends of patients in wards 12 and 18 have also been asked to stay away to avoid spreading the norovirus.
Dr Martin Connor, consultant microbiologist and infection control doctor, said: "Our priority is always patient, public and staff safety.
"We appreciate that this temporary visiting restriction to Ward 18 may cause some frustration, this measure will allow us to help prevent further spread of the infection and ensure safe patient care.
"Where circumstances are such that relatives are concerned about the need to visit their loved ones in Ward 18, they are asked to contact the ward before coming to the hospital.
"All members of the public visiting other areas of the hospital are asked to comply with the hand hygiene and infection control measures in place."
Meanwhile, NHS Borders has announced that all of its wards affected by a similar outbreak have reopened.
People have been asked to "carefully consider" their visits to Borders General Hospital in Melrose and other community hospitals.


A Banksy mural painted on a Cheltenham house has been protected after council planners agreed to grant it retrospective planning permission.

The "Spy Booth" artwork, showing three figures "snooping" on a telephone box, appeared in Hewlett Road last April.
The "unauthorised" mural was added to the Grade II listed property without listed building consent, so could not be included in its listed status.
Cheltenham Borough Council voted by 12 votes to one to grant the application.
Retrospective planning consent has been granted for changes to the character of the listed building, meaning further permission would be needed if somebody wanted to remove it.
The mural, located about three miles from government listening post GCHQ, has been a source of controversy ever since it appeared.
It has been daubed with white paint, sprayed with silver and red graffiti, had people trying to steal it and businesses and communities fighting over ownership.
But with listed building consent now granted both the mural and the building's satellite dish will be protected from unauthorised alteration or removal.
Martin Chandler, borough council case officer, said: "It will be afforded a greater level of protection than it has currently but it doesn't mean we won't be faced with future applications to consider other changes to it."
"It [planning consent] doesn't automatically mean it's going to be retained in situ."
Robin Barton, from the Bankrobber gallery in London, who has been trying to broker a deal to sell the Banksy, said the listing was "an ill-judged gesture" and "short sighted".
"It will very likely result in the terminal decay of the wall. There is nothing to protect the wall now.
"Now that it's listed no-one can apply any protection to it. It's it absolutely vulnerable to the elements."
Mr Barton said he said he had spent more than Â£25,000 on protecting the work.
"The owner now wants to paint it over and move on with his life," he added.


Giant versions of the "bizarre microscopic form of insects" made of up to 8,000 individual photographs are at the centre of a new exhibition.

Taken by British photographer Levon Biss, the show at Oxford's Museum of Natural History features 24 images, some of which are three metres wide.
The individual shots were merged to form a detailed, large-format picture.
Mr Biss said his passion to produce the works stemmed from his son's fascination with insects in the garden.
"My son once found a ground beetle in the garden and we decided to take a look at it under his microscope", he said.
"I was stunned at how beautiful it was up close so decided to photograph it for him.  From then on I have only been interested in photographing insects."
To create the images, the insect is photographed in approximately 30 different sections.
"Each section is lit differently with strobe lights to bring out the micro-sculptural beauty of that particular section of the body," said Mr Biss.
"For example, I will light and shoot just one antenna, then I will move on to the eye until I have covered the whole surface area of the insect."
The Microsculpture exhibition will be available to view until October.


A brother of Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has died in hospital after being attacked with an axe on Thursday, police have said.

Priyantha Sirisena suffered severe head injuries in his hometown of Polonnaruwa, north-east of the capital Colombo, AFP news agency reports.
Colombo Gazette reports there was a "private dispute" and a man has been arrested.
The president is out of the country on a state visit to China.
His youngest brother, a businessman and father of three, was attacked on Thursday evening "during an altercation with a friend" said a government statement.
He was flown to Colombo to be treated for head injuries but despite surgery he died on Saturday, said doctors.
Official sources have said Priyantha Sirisena, 42, was the youngest in a family of 12 children.
President Sirisena came to power following bitterly fought January presidential elections.
Unlike most former Sri Lankan leaders, he has not extended personal security for his siblings and is known to have drastically scaled down his own protection unit.


A man who filmed and live-streamed a court case in Cardiff has been jailed for 28 days.

David Davies, 39, from Llantwit Fardre, Rhondda Cynon Taff, was broadcasting the footage on to Facebook as a person gave evidence at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday.
He was arrested when he returned to the court on Tuesday. A judge sentenced him for contempt of court later that day.
Cameras are not allowed in courts in England and Wales.
South Wales Police was alerted by a member of the public who saw the footage online.
PC Richard Sellek said: "Unfortunately, cases such as this are becoming more and more commonplace.
"There are prominent notices within all courts about the use of mobile phones before people enter the courtroom.
"This should serve as a warning to others who think that the law does not apply to them."


Suspected Maoists have killed 24 policemen in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, in one of the biggest attacks by the rebels in recent years.

The officers were guarding road workers in the Sukma district, which has seen a long-running insurgency by Maoists.
The details of the attack are sketchy, but one report said it was carried out by 300 rebels.
The Maoists say they are fighting for communist rule and greater rights for tribal people and the rural poor.
Their insurgency began in the eastern state of West Bengal in the late 1960s, later spreading to more than one-third of India's 600-plus administrative districts.
Profile: India's Maoist rebels
The attack on the personnel of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) began at 13:00 local time on Monday and the clashes went on for a few hours, reports said.
It is not yet known if the Maoists suffered any casualties.
India's Home Minister Rajnath Singh later tweeted about the attack:
Indian media reports say helicopters have been used to transport the wounded to the nearest medical facility.
Extra security personnel have been now been sent to the location to look for the attackers.
The rebels are active in several eastern and central states of India.
They routinely target Indian security forces. In 2010 they killed 74 policemen in the Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh in one of the most deadly attacks.


A major road has been closed in south-west Scotland after a bridge was damaged in a crash.

The A712 near New Galloway has been closed at Ken Bridge. Diversions have been put in place.
The structure was damaged after being struck by a tractor and trailer loaded with slurry.
It has been reported that precautions are being taken to prevent a leak of slurry into the River Ken.


A waterpark in France is to be booked out for one day to Muslim women wanting to wear "burkinis" - but the decision has led to criticism by politicians on the right.

A community group in Marseille arranged the day, giving access only to women wearing the all-over swimming garment.
The group was set up to "encourage women to join in with the community".
Some leading political figures said the move was contrary to France's legally enshrined secular values.
"Accepting this so-called fashion means we accept communalism in our country," said Valerie Boyer, a mayor of two Marseille districts from the centre-right group Les Republicains group, led by ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy.
"However, it's also a question of the woman's dignity, a question of our most fundamental principles."
A note by the event organisers, Smile 13, said that women attending "must be covered from the chest to the knees".
France was the first European country to ban the full-face Islamic veil in public places, but it is legal to wear Islamic dress.
France has about five million Muslims, the largest Muslim minority in Western Europe, but it is thought only about 2,000 women wear full veils.
Islamic headscarves were also banned in French schools in 2004.
Boys under the age of 10, but no men, will also be allowed to attend the burkini day, which will take place at the Speedwater Park near Marseille on 17 September.
The decision was also attacked by Stephane Ravier, a mayor of two other Marseille districts with the far-right Front National.
"This Islamist day demonstrates that, outside of the comforting words of Muslim authorities, a certain number of Muslims are deciding among themselves to break away from our Republican model and put themselves outside our society," he said.
Neither Speedwater Park nor Smile 13 has commented on the criticism.
But Smile 13 has received some messages of support, as well as attacks, on its Facebook page.
"Good luck, ladies, I hope this takes place" wrote one woman, who said: "And I don't even wear the veil."


Until yesterday you would have been hard pushed to find too many people - even in his native New Zealand - who had heard of Lou Vincent.

A journeyman Twenty20 specialist, he retired from international cricket in 2007 after playing 23 Tests and 102 one-day internationals.
But Vincent could yet become a household name as the man who lifted the lid on match fixing and corruption in the sport.
For months now he has been working with the International Cricket Council's Anti Corruption Unit (ACSU). On Friday, details of some of his evidence were leaked to two newspapers, the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail.
The reports say Vincent has claimed at least 12 games he played in around the world were involved in some sort of match or spot fixing - where passages of the game are rigged by illegal bookmakers.
The newspapers also claim three of those matches took place in England - Lancashire v Durham in 2008 and two Sussex matches in 2011, one against Kent and another against Lancashire. Vincent played in all three of those games. There is no reason to suspect any other players or officials involved.
The Kent v Sussex match has already been investigated by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and, although no action was taken, it is understood evidence provided by Vincent to the ECB back in 2011 was then passed on to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The ECB is now seeking urgent discussions with the ICC before weighing up what action - if any - it should take.
The papers report that Vincent told the ICC he was offered money and in one case a woman to help fix matches. He has reportedly named six other players involved in fixing including one very high-profile international star who cannot be named for legal reasons.
It is all highly embarrassing for a sport which simply cannot shake off the persistent claims of cheating.
It is also humiliating for the ICC that the details of the case have been leaked.
But then, this being cricket, this story is as much about politics as it is about possible corruption.
Lou Vincent has played county cricket in England for Lancashire, Northants, Worcestershire and Sussex
For some time now there has been frustration from some countries at the lack of action from the ICC on Vincent's match fixing allegations.
While it is the first time we are reading about them in detail, they have been around quite a long time and involve matches which took place a while ago.
Many of them, as in the case of the Kent v Sussex match in 2011, have long been suspected as dodgy and have even been investigated.
What the whole of the cricket world is now waiting to see is whether Vincent has made any new and potentially more damaging claims against high-profile players still at the top of the game. The suspicion is that there may be a lot more to come from him.
Regardless of that, the ICC's glacial pace on this investigation has led many at the top of the game to question the effectiveness of the world governing body's anti-corruption team. The ACSU's head, former chief inspector of constabulary Sir Ronnie Flanagan, is under huge pressure.
Flanagan and ICC chief executive David Richardson were in London on Thursday for the start of a 'bottom up' review of the ACSU. Many believe Flanagan will lose his job as the unit is scaled back to give more power to the national cricket bodies like the ECB.
The feeling in some circles is that the national boards are better placed to investigate as much of the fixing claims centre on domestic limited-overs cricket and not international matches.
All of this must in turn be seen in the context of the wider reshaping of world cricket going on with India, England and Australia taking greater control over the ICC.
Whoever is responsible for investigating and prosecuting these match-fixing cases - they remain incredibly hard to prove. Even when illegal approaches are reported it is difficult to be sure that the fix was ever actually pulled off.
It is one of the reasons the ECB is lobbying British MPs to introduce a new act or an amendment to the Gambling Act which would make it unquestionably a criminal offence to accept any inducement to cheat at sport.
In the meantime the ICC knows it must make the most of the evidence Vincent has presented to them. Cricket simply has to get to grips with the problem of match fixing.
But illegal betting in Asia is worth billions of pounds. One study yesterday said criminal gangs had laundered £83bn through illegal gambling.
And with the sport now so financially reliant on the potentially toxic mix of T20 cricket, television money and Indian political dominance - where of course so much of this illegal betting is taking place - it is very hard to be confident that the game will ever be able to get on top of it.


Ramona Bachmann and Hannah Blundell both scored twice as Chelsea Ladies hit back to beat Sunderland Ladies and ease into the Women's FA Cup semi-finals.

Chelsea, last season's beaten finalists, trailed to Lucy Staniforth's well-placed penalty after Claire Rafferty fouled Danielle Brown.
But Bachmann's sweet finish levelled the scores and she scored again after a slick one-two with Karen Carney.
Two Blundell strikes made it 4-1 before Drew Spence's header sealed the win.
The draw for the semi-finals will take place live on BBC Radio 5 Live at 14:45 BST on Monday, 27 March.


A police officer who supported the family of a murder victim "deliberately downplayed" an affair with a solicitor of one of the accused, a panel has heard.

Det Con Peter Surgay was a family liaison officer following the murder of Clifford Collinge in 2011.
The panel was told Mr Surgay had been in a "volatile" on-off relationship with Deborah Bell since 2009.
The hearing was adjourned until 10 August.
The pair's relationship had been kept secret as Mr Surgay's wife also served with Nottinghamshire Police, the misconduct panel heard.
Ms Bell went on to act as a solicitor for Stephen Shreeves - one of three accused of the murder of Mr Collinge.
Shreeves is currently serving a life sentence after being found guilty of murder. Widow Charlotte Collinge was acquitted following a retrial.
Mr Surgay, 42, who has served with the force for nearly 19 years, is accused of failing to report the nature of the relationship which, it has been argued, could have potentially compromised a major investigation.
Mr Surgay said the relationship was largely platonic, save for a "drunken fumble" early on.
Force solicitor David Ring said this was inconsistent with the account of Ms Bell, who said the pair were intimate over a period spanning years.
Mr Ring said Mr Surgay made no mention of trips he took with Ms Bell to California, Dublin and Germany when questioned by the force's professional standards department.
He said: "You deliberately downplay the nature of your relationship in interview." Mr Surgay replied: "I dispute that."
Mr Surgay added: "It was not something I wanted to shout from the rooftops. There's enough rumour and rapture in the police force as it is."
The officer added he was not aware his relationship with Ms Bell should have been brought to the attention of senior officers and the couple only spoke of the Collinge case in the "broadest of terms".
Mr Ring said the officer would have been removed from his role in the case had the nature of the relationship come to light, adding it was "common sense" he should have disclosed it.
Mr Surgay is also facing a further allegation of misusing police systems over "an extended period of time" in searching for crimes in and around his home area of Kimberley.
The incidents included one where a car registered in his name was reported for making off from a petrol station without paying - knowing as "bilking".
The officer said the searches were made for policing purposes and that he was "aghast" when he saw the alleged bilking incident.
The hearing continues.


Three people have been injured after a two car crash in Ayr, South Ayrshire.

A northbound white Vauxhall Corsa crossed the carriageway on the A77, towards Holmston roundabout, and hit a silver Citroen car, at 15:30 on Sunday.
The 73-year-old man and 71-year-old woman who were travelling in the Corsa were taken to Ayr Hospital.
The driver of the Citroen C8 was also taken to hospital and released after treatment. Police have appealed for witnesses to the crash to contact them.


The most dangerous waters in the world are no longer off the coast of Somalia, but off Nigeria, in the Gulf of Guinea.

14 July 2016 Last updated at 11:29 BST
Vessels there are more likely to have their crews kidnapped than their cargoes taken, and the tactic is on the rise.
BBC Africa Security correspondent Tomi Oladipo explains why.


An MP has said he is still suffering flashbacks after a bonfire he doused with petrol to set it alight exploded in his face.

Gordon Henderson, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, received 30% burns to his body and spent 10 days in intensive care after the accident on 26 July.
"I can remember vividly. It really was terrifying," said the Conservative MP.
"I hope it teaches everybody else a very valuable lesson. Do not ever use petrol on a bonfire."
More news from Kent
Mr Henderson said he had recently built a brick container for bonfires in his garden at Eastchurch, Kent.
"I built the bonfire and I put the petrol on it but I hadn't taken into account the build-up of fumes," he said.
"When it went up it was like a bomb exploding in my face because there was a three-sided container and all the force came to me.
"My hair caught light but with the rest of me it was the heat that caused the burns."
Mr Henderson's wife Louise cooled him down with a garden hose and took him Sheppey Community Hospital.
An air ambulance was then called to fly him to Tunbridge Wells Hospital, from where he was taken to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.
"I realised then that if they were taking me to East Grinstead, which is a fantastic burns hospital, that it was something really serious," he said.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service said it urged people not to use petrol to light bonfires or barbecues.
"Use firelighters or rolled-up newspaper and wood but please don't put flammable liquids on bonfires," said community safety spokesman Charlie Smith.
"The burns that can result from these fires can be really nasty and they can take a long time to heal."


A tourist believed to be from the US has been killed in a lion attack at a game park in South Africa, a park official has told the BBC.

The lioness jumped through the open window of the couple's car and started mauling the woman, assistant park manager Scott Simpson said.
Paramedics were called to the scene but she died from her injuries, while the man is still receiving treatment.
The popular Lion Park is 30km (19 miles) north of Johannesburg.
The park's rules forbid visitors from driving through the lion enclosure with their windows down, reports the BBC's Milton Nkosi from Johannesburg.
Park rangers chased the lioness away after the attack, and it is not clear whether the animal will now have to be put down, our correspondent adds.
Local media are reporting that the woman's death marks the third incident in the past four months at the park.
Milton Nkosi, BBC News, Johannesburg
This afternoon's attack in the Lion Park came as a shock not only to the tourists and staff there but to me too.
I am a frequent visitor to the park. It's a great place to take the family and I've taken my own kids there for as long as I can remember.
We also take international visitors who want to have a feel of the African wildlife experience without having to drive for hundreds of kilometres into the bush.
The park's location near to Johannesburg makes it an easy destination for many tourists who are in town for a short time attending a conference or business meetings.
The lions are kept in large fenced-off enclosures which visitors can drive through themselves.
The official South African tourism website describes the park as a "hybrid between a zoo and a game reserve", while the Lion Park's website says "super close-up animal views" are guaranteed. Cheetahs, spotted hyenas and giraffe are also in the park.
The Lion Park is one of the region's most popular destinations, attracting tourists from around the world.
Previous high-profile visitors have reportedly included Colombian singer Shakira, Hollywood actress Natalie Portman, as well as the entire German football team before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.


The number of new cars registered in Scotland last year edged up from the 2015 total, to 220,906.

This was the second highest annual total, after the record set in 2014, and was a rise of 352 on the previous year.
UK registrations hit a record of nearly 2.7 million registrations in 2016, up 2.3% on the year.
Vauxhall remained the biggest selling brand in Scotland, with 27,758 cars registered, ahead of Ford on 24,134.
Volkswagen held third position, with 16,053. That was a fall of 1,800 registrations compared with 2015, during which the German carmaker was engulfed in a crisis about misleading claims for its diesel engine's fuel efficiency.
The other most popular manufacturers included:
At the more expensive end of the market, four McLarens were registered in 2016 - all of them last month - plus 18 Lamborghini, 26 Rolls-Royce, 49 Astan Martins, 34 Ferrari and 67 Maserati.
The Vauxhall Corsa was the most popular new car in Scotland, with 10,095 registered, followed by the Ford Fiesta, Volkswagen Polo, Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra.
Motor traders say the increase in new car registrations has been driven by low interest rates, and the wide choice of 48 makes and 400 models.
The market may also have been distorted by "pre-registered cars", which dealers buy and hold, to sell at a discount after 90 days. A BBC investigation found they could account for a fifth of registrations.
With the figures came a warning that after a challenging 2016, the new year looks more difficult still.
Sandy Burgess, chief executive of the Scottish Motor Traders Association, said: "Despite the various challenges we experienced in 2016 with political and economic uncertainties, Scotland's new car market delivered another significant performance as our dealers were able to bring a fantastic range of innovative and high tech models to market.
"The new year is shaping up to be more challenging, with the impacts of recent sterling depreciation raising the price of imported goods, fuel prices starting to increase and further unease around the Brexit situation.
"But interest rates are still at historic lows and there are lots of new models arriving in showrooms throughout 2017."


Cushendall bounced back from a nine-point half-time deficit to beat Ballycastle 2-16 to 1-15 in an exciting Antrim SHC final at Dunloy on Sunday.

The Seasiders trailed 1-11 to 0-5 at the interval but recovered to secure their 13th title by four points.
Meanwhile Ballycran scored 1-4 in the last 10 minutes to clinch victory over Ballygalget in the Down SHC decider.
Stephen McAree's side sealed their first Down crown since 2011 with the final score reading 1-15 to 0-16.
Ballygalget, who had seen off Portaferry 2-13 to 0-18 in their semi-final, had led 0-11 to 0-6 at the interval.
A goal from substitute Brendan Ennis two minutes from time proved enough for Ballycran to run out the victors.
Ballycastle, conquerors of Dunloy in the last four, were attempting to bridge a 29-year gap, as they took on the holders Cushendall.
Ballycastle made a good start and raced into a five-point lead, before Neil McManus scored Cushendall's first point in the 12th minute.
A goal from Saul McCaughan saw the champions trail by nine points at the interval, but they made good use of their wind advantage in the second half.
After the break, Donal McNaughton found the net with his first touch after coming on as a substitute and a further goal by Eoghan Campbell brought Cushendall level after great work by Conor Carson.
A Christy McNaughton point gave his side the lead for the first time and late points from McManus and Carson ensured victory for their sides.


Is this the harshest sacking in football this season?

Greek side Olympiakos have dismissed former Portugal coach Paulo Bento, despite leading the Superleague by seven points.
Bento's sacking after seven months in the job, came after Olympiakos' third straight league defeat on Sunday opened the door for second-placed Panionios, who have a game in hand.
The 47-year-old was Olympiakos' second manager this season. Victor Sanchez was sacked in August after two games and less than two months in charge, following the club's exit from the Champions League in the third qualifying round.
Bento, who led his country at the 2014 World Cup, lost four out of 23 league matches.
But winning the league is what is expected at Olympiakos - they have been champions in all but two seasons since 2000.
Bento leaves a team still in the hunt for three trophies. They have a last-16 tie against Turkish side Besiktas in the Europa League and are also in the Greek Cup semi-finals.


The UK will continue to co-operate with the European Union on medicine testing after it leaves the bloc, two senior ministers have suggested.

Business Secretary Greg Clark and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said such a deal would be "in the interests of public health and safety".
"The UK would like to find a way to continue to collaborate with the EU," they wrote in a Financial Times letter.
There are fears Brexit may cause delays in UK patients getting new drugs.
Currently the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorises drugs for use across the EU, including the UK.
However, it is expected to move out of the UK after Brexit, raising uncertainty over whether the UK will need to develop its own separate drug approval system.
Industry experts have warned that if this happens pharmaceutical firms could be slower to seek permission for their drugs to be used in just one country, focusing instead on getting their drugs approved for larger, more lucrative markets.
The UK pharmaceuticals trade association has also warned that Brexit could undermine future investment, research and jobs in the country.
But speaking on the BBC's Today programme, the UK managing director of US drugs giant Pfizer, Erik Nordkamp, said there were other issues than Brexit that the industry wanted to see addressed.
"The letter in the FT this morning is significant... because it acknowledges there are some risks that need to be addressed with regulation, with trade, but at the same time the government needs to address the long-standing issues that are there."
The ministers wrote that the UK "will look to continue to work closely with the European Medicines Agency (EMA)."
"Our overall aim is to ensure that patients in the UK and across the EU continue to be able to access the best and most innovative medicines," they added.
In the letter, they cited examples where the UK and EU partnership had helped patients, including the licensing of 130 products to treat rare diseases.
In an attempt to reassure the industry, they also said if it wasn't possible to arrange "our desired relationship with the EU", then Britain would "set up a regulatory system" to process drugs licences "as quickly as possible."
In April, EMA executive director Guido Rasi said continued co-operation was theoretically possible but it would be up to EU governments to decide whether to offer such a deal.
Pharmaceutical firms have been pushing for some kind of clarity over what the UK's exit from the EU will mean for the industry.
Mike Thompson, chief executive of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said the ministers' letter was "a welcome recognition that the future of medicines regulation is a key priority for the government".


A court in Argentina has said that an orangutan called Sandra, who lives in a zoo there, can have some of the same legal rights enjoyed by humans.

Media playback is unsupported on your device
23 December 2014 Last updated at 16:30 GMT
A local animal rights group went to court on behalf of the orangutan, saying she was being imprisoned illegally and should be set free.
The outcome depended on whether Sandra should be thought of as a 'person' or a 'thing'.
Lawyers representing the 29 year-old orangutan argued that she should not be treated as an object because of her intelligence and complex ways of thinking.
It was decided that Sandra could have the status of a "non-human person" - the first time this has ever happened.
As long as the zoo doesn't appeal to change the decision, this means Sandra will be transferred to a sanctuary in Brazil, where she will have more freedom.
Sandra's case is one of many that have attempted to give great apes some of the rights enjoyed by humans - all of which have failed, until now.


Let's all just take a moment and celebrate Ed Sheeran.

Weeks after he did his bit for Band Aid 30, the singer has donated his time for another good cause, the UK's first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
For hours the poor guy was surrounded by arguably some of the world's most beautiful women modelling lingerie.
He was granted a few minutes of respite to sing on stage, but even then Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio insisted on distracting him as they walked past.
We blame those noisy stilettos.
Speaking ahead of the show in London, Ed said: "It's weird, it's one of the only times I have ever played where the attention isn't on the musicians."
To add insult to injury, the 23-year-old was also forced on to the stage at Earls Court Exhibition Centre surrounded by an army of underwear models and sandwiched between Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande.
It is selfless people like you Ed, that keep this country ticking. For that, we thank you.
Those pink, fluffy, angel wings may look all saintly, but we bet Ariana Grande doesn't think so after one nearly caused carnage during her performance.
Model Elsa Hosk must have not seen the petite pop star and nearly knocked her over with her wing. Luckily Ariana noticed and ducked just in time.
It is just as well because Ariana has some seriously loyal fans, including a group who camped outside the hotel where she was staying in London.
To warm them up, the 21-year-old sent them signed cups filled with hot chocolate.
Poor Ed may have been suffering, but at least his mate Taylor Swift seemed to enjoy herself.
At one point, she even walked the runway with model Karlie Kloss - who, judging by this photo, is a bit of a fan.
Follow @BBCNewsbeat on Twitter and Radio1Newsbeat on YouTube


UK scientists are hunting for impact craters on Mercury that are likely to have been produced by disrupted comets.

They are looking for chains of depressions known as catenae.
These would have formed when comets passed too close to the Sun and broke apart under tidal forces into many pieces, and then splattered the surface of the Solar System's innermost world.
The Open University team is examining pictures returned from the US space agency's (Nasa) Messenger probe.
This satellite, which is expected to end operations on Thursday with a crash of its own on to Mercury, has already revealed some extraordinary insights into the planet's past relationship with comets.
Many of the ices and other volatile compounds seen in permanently shadowed craters at the poles were most probably delivered by the frozen wanderers.
Likewise, the blackened hue of some surface deposits may indicate a dusting of carbon-rich material derived from comets that have hit Mercury.
Given its position so close to the Sun, one would expect the planet to have been pelted by the countless icy dirt-balls that routinely get drawn in to graze our star.
And tidally fragmented comets would have done so as a train of objects, having been dislocated in the Sun's immense gravity field.
Something very similar is seen out at Jupiter where comets that have got too close to the gas giant will crumble and then sequentially splatter its moons.
David Rothery and Emma Fegan have been poring over Messenger images, trying to determine how many of the 500 or so crater chains they have identified on Mercury are evidence of this same process of tidal disruption.
Many of the catenae are unarguably the result of debris that was flung out of primary impact bowls (dug out by intact colliding comets or asteroids).  These ejecta strings form radial patterns that can be traced back to an obvious source.
The chains Rothery and Fegan are attempting to distinguish, on the other hand, have no clear origin. They appear isolated.
And, intriguingly, when they plot the orientation of these suspect catenae, they appear to betray a bias. More seem to point north-south than east-west. If confirmed, this may say something about the early population of comets in the Solar System.
"It could be that we're seeing the north-south ones more easily because of the direction of sunlight, but these are pretty big features - kind of hard to miss," explained Prof Rothery.
"If there are genuinely more catenae orientated north-south than east-west, it's suggesting that if they're produced by tidally disrupted comets then the comets that were hitting Mercury more than three billion years ago had orbits tilted at more or less ninety degrees to the plane of Mercury's orbit."
The idea is somewhat speculative at the moment, but fascinating nonetheless.
Although the image stream from Messenger is about to end, the next probe to Mercury is already under construction.
BepiColombo is a joint venture between the European and Japanese space agencies.
Its mission will launch in 2017 and arrive in orbit in 2024. Prof Rothery is the lead co-investigator on Bepi's Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (MIXS), which has been designed by a team at Leicester University.
He presented his and Fegan's catenae research at the recent European Geosciences Union General Assembly in Vienna, Austria.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


A sheep farmer whose grazing land in the Glens of Antrim has been partly destroyed by a landslide has said it could be months before he is able to clear the debris.

6 January 2016 Last updated at 18:56 GMT
Dermot McDonnell said he believes 23 of his flock are buried underneath and with more rain forecast he is worried tonnes of rock and soil could slip further onto the public road and property below.
Helen Jones reports.


A trial has begun in South Dakota over a meat processer's claim that it was defamed by ABC News reporting that dubbed its product "pink slime".

Beef Products Inc (BPI) argues ABC and its journalist ruined its reputation in 2012 reports on "lean finely textured beef", as the industry calls it.
BPI says ABC's "disinformation campaign" caused the meat processer's revenues to drop by 80%.
They are suing ABC for up to $5.7bn (Â£4.4bn) in damages.
During a hearing in January, a lawyer for BPI told the judge that ABC had engaged in "fake news".
In the reporting by ABC's Jim Avila, the term "pink slime" was used 137 times, as he described the process which creates it.
Could 'pink slime' be rebranded?
The beef trimmings are placed in a centrifuge in order to separate the lean meat from fat, before it is treated with ammonia to remove bacteria.
The term "pink slime" was coined by Gerald Zirnstein, a former Agriculture Department scientist, who initially used it in an email to colleagues in 2002.
Grocery stores across America dropped products containing "pink slime" after the ABC reports aired.
The processed trimmings were also once found in fast-food served by McDonald's, Taco Bell and Burger King.
BPI, which primarily produces the beef trimmings, shut down three of its four production plants following the reports.
ABC lawyers argue they are protected under the US constitution's first amendment, which ensures a free press.
The television network, which is owned by Walt Disney Company, argues that BPI must prove ABC's reporters acted with "actual malice" to harm the company.
"We believe in the principle that people deserve to know what's in the food they eat and are confident that when all the facts are presented in court, ABC's reporting will be fully vindicated," said Kevin Baine, a lawyer representing ABC.
The trial in the rural town of Elk Point, population 2,000, just north of BPI's headquarters, is expected to last eight weeks.


Arsenal increased the pressure on Sunderland manager David Moyes with a comfortable victory over a Black Cats side who remain bottom of the table and without a Premier League win this season.

Alexis Sanchez put the Gunners ahead when he got in front of defender Lamine Kone to head in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross.
The dominant visitors had a strong penalty appeal turned down after Sanchez looked to have been brought down before Jermain Defoe equalised from the spot after keeper Petr Cech had fouled Duncan Watmore.
However, Arsenal reasserted their authority and lead with three goals in six minutes and 20 seconds.
Olivier Giroud came off the bench to guide in a shot and then headed in a Mesut Ozil corner, while Sanchez's close range effort was the signal for the home fans to start streaming out of the Stadium of Light.
The win moved Arsenal top of the Premier League - but Manchester City's victory over West Brom later in the day knocked them off the summit.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wanted a win in the early Saturday game to put pressure on his side's rivals and his players duly delivered.
The Gunners were missing the in-form Theo Walcott, but Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored twice in the midweek EFL Cup win over Reading, competently filled the void.
He provided the cross for Sanchez, starting up front instead of Giroud, to head in the opener and the England midfielder has now been involved in seven goals in his past eight games in all competitions, with four goals and three assists.
Ozil had a chip saved when clean through and the Gunners were punished for failing to turn their dominance into further goals when Defoe equalised.
However, Arsenal regrouped and recovered with a late burst of goals and are unbeaten in 14 matches.
Media playback is not supported on this device
Arsenal were still smarting from referee Martin Atkinson not awarding them a penalty for Kone appearing to pull back Sanchez when Defoe gave Sunderland hope.
Wenger sent on Giroud, who was playing his first league game since 24 September following a toe injury, and he scored with his first two touches of the game.
"I have been lucky today, I had great assists from my team-mates," said France striker Giroud, who has scored seven goals in his last seven appearances against Sunderland in all competitions.
"It is a big time for me coming back from a tough injury and I'm very happy to be back on the pitch."
The latest defeat for Sunderland means they have made the worst ever start to a Premier League season, with just two points from 10 games.
Their fans might have feared the worst going into a game - and any concerns did not take long to be realised as centre-back Kone was caught on his heels for the opener, the sixth headed goal the Black Cats have conceded in the league this season.
That tally went to seven following Giroud's goal later on and the defending of Sunderland, who were using a seventh different back four combination under Moyes this season, left plenty to be desired.
Even when Defoe scored with the hosts' first shot on target, they failed to show the security in defence to build on that lifeline.
They had plenty of support with 44,322 at the Stadium of Light, but their capitulation left swathes of empty seats at the final whistle.
Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy said: "Sunderland got so deep, I couldn't believe what was going on.
"It was as if it didn't matter. This is a team that are supposed to be battling to stay in this league even this early in the season, but if they continue to play this deep, with this much fear, then they have got no chance."
Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer said: "Arsenal are a better team with Alexis Sanchez as a centre forward. He was superb, he ran the Sunderland defence ragged. They did not have a clue how to deal with him."
Sunderland manager David Moyes: "Once we get one or two of the injured players back, that will give us some more options and that will give us a better chance.
"The message is the players are giving everything they can. It was not through the lack of effort, or the lack of trying - they played a team with a lot of quality.
"We are not in a good position and need to play better. The players are doing their best, but you will only ever be judged by your results."
Media playback is not supported on this device
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger: "It was a mental test when we were at 1-1. We missed so many chances, so many opportunities, and I was worried we could lose - but we have shown great strength to bounce back.
"In the Premier League at 1-1 you can lose the game but it was about how we responded. Do we panic, give up, feel sorry for ourselves? We responded well and in the end it was a comfortable win.
"It was an important result for us. We had six wins, then one draw at home, which was disappointing, and a second draw or defeat would have been like we had dropped our level."
On his introduction of Giroud, who then scored twice in the next seven minutes, Wenger added: "The manager has an easy credit when he has quality players on the bench and you don't need to be a special manager to make this decision. It was 1-1 and we had Giroud on the bench."
Arsenal travel to Bulgaria to play Ludogorets Razgrad in a Champions League group game on Tuesday at 19:45 GMT before hosting north London rivals Tottenham in the Premier League on 6 November (12:00 kick-off).
Sunderland are at Bournemouth in the Premier League at 15:00 on 5 November.
Match ends, Sunderland 1, Arsenal 4.
Second Half ends, Sunderland 1, Arsenal 4.
Attempt missed. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Foul by Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal).
Adnan Januzaj (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner,  Arsenal. Conceded by Jack Rodwell.
Corner,  Arsenal. Conceded by Jack Rodwell.
Substitution, Arsenal. Ainsley Maitland-Niles replaces Francis Coquelin.
Offside, Sunderland. Patrick van Aanholt tries a through ball, but Jermain Defoe is caught offside.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland) because of an injury.
Substitution, Sunderland. Lynden Gooch replaces Duncan Watmore.
Foul by Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal).
Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal).
Wahbi Khazri (Sunderland) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Sunderland 1, Arsenal 4. Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Aaron Ramsey.
Attempt missed. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the left side of the box. Assisted by Aaron Ramsey.
Substitution, Arsenal. Aaron Ramsey replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Goal!  Sunderland 1, Arsenal 3. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a cross following a corner.
Corner,  Arsenal. Conceded by Jack Rodwell.
Attempt blocked. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Francis Coquelin (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adnan Januzaj (Sunderland).
Corner,  Arsenal. Conceded by Papy Djilobodji.
Attempt missed. Mesut Özil (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Kieran Gibbs.
Offside, Sunderland. Jermain Defoe tries a through ball, but Patrick van Aanholt is caught offside.
Goal!  Sunderland 1, Arsenal 2. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kieran Gibbs with a cross.
Substitution, Sunderland. Adnan Januzaj replaces Steven Pienaar.
Attempt missed. Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Mohamed Elneny with a cross following a corner.
Substitution, Arsenal. Olivier Giroud replaces Alex Iwobi.
Corner,  Arsenal. Conceded by Papy Djilobodji.
Offside, Sunderland. Jack Rodwell tries a through ball, but Jermain Defoe is caught offside.
Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!  Sunderland 1, Arsenal 1. Jermain Defoe (Sunderland) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Petr Cech (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Penalty conceded by Petr Cech (Arsenal) after a foul in the penalty area.
Penalty Sunderland. Duncan Watmore draws a foul in the penalty area.


The chair of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has rejected calls for it to be scrapped or scaled back, saying its scope is "a virtue".

Prof Alexis Jay said the broad nature of the inquiry would allow it to recommend "fundamental changes".
None of its 13 separate investigations will be dropped, a report said, but it may stop short of examining whether the late peer Lord Janner abused children.
The inquiry has announced it will only hold four public hearings next year.
The announcements were made in a report following an internal review, ordered by Prof Jay after her appointment in August.
The report also set the troubled inquiry's timetable for 2017.
Prof Jay said she planned to make recommendations in an interim report in 2018 and vowed to make "substantial progress" by 2020.
However, IICSA officials refused to say when the inquiry would end.
Writing in the review, Prof Jay said: "I plan to make recommendations in an interim report in 2018 and I am determined that the inquiry makes substantial progress by 2020."
She added: "There have been suggestions that the remit of the inquiry is too broad to succeed.
"I disagree. Its scope is a virtue, allowing it to recommend fundamental changes beyond the reach of an inquiry with a narrower remit."
Prof Jay was appointed to the troubled inquiry after the sudden resignation of New Zealand judge Dame Lowell Goddard.
She is the fourth person to chair the inquiry, which was first established in 2014 but has yet to hold a public evidence session.
The inquiry's investigations will look into cases as diverse as "the internet" and local councils.
There have been calls for it to be scaled back, with Dame Lowell Goddard saying there was an "inherent problem" in its "sheer scale and size".
However, Prof Jay concluded that no public hearings would be cancelled and all the investigations would be retained.
The inquiry also announced it could stop short of investigating whether the late Labour peer Lord Janner did abuse children.
The inquiry previously announced the investigation of allegations against Lord Janner had been delayed because of a parallel police investigation.
It said it was considering refocusing the Janner inquiry to concentrate on how institutions responded to allegations against him.
The review said it may not need to make "findings of fact" relating to whether he abused children.
Lord Janner's son Daniel welcomed the announcement, which he said suggested the inquiry was "stepping back from the unfairness of making findings of fact in relation to these false allegations given my innocent late father is dead and cannot answer back".
The inquiry's new timetable has scheduled hearings on the abuse of British migrant children overseas for February and July next year.
In October, there will be a hearing on abuse in Rochdale, including the role of the late MP Cyril Smith.
There will be a hearing in December 2017 about the English Benedictine Congregation in the Catholic Church, while in March 2018 there will be a hearing regarding its Anglican Church investigation.
By Daniel De Simone, BBC News
The inquiry has been under pressure, including from its former chair, to get a grip by reducing the scale of its remit.
Prof Alexis Jay has argued that its wide scope was necessary and has affirmed this position.
Rumours that some of the 13 investigations would be scrapped have proved groundless, which has encouraged those involved.
The news that only four public hearings will take place next year - relating to only three investigations - has disappointed some victims, who are also concerned the inquiry could hold fewer public evidence sessions than once expected and may not make judgements about whether some alleged abuse took place.
Prof Jay will hope this review allows the inquiry to move beyond its troubled history.
She has set a date for an interim report, as well as setting out a timetable of hearings and seminars.
But this will not reduce the pressure on an inquiry which has moved at a pedestrian pace - and gained many critics - since its inception more than two years ago.
Abuse survivor Phil Johnson - a core participant in the Anglican Church strand - told the BBC that was a "significant delay."
"I was told it would be late summer, probably September 2017," he added.
"There is a need for robust, thorough and timely investigation."
A senior official said it was the first time the body had published a timetable "and we will stick to it".
The review includes updates on all 13 investigations.
It also revealed a strand examining claims against "people of public prominence, past and present, associated with Westminster" has inspected documents held by the Cabinet Office and the intelligence agencies.
The inquiry will open a new hearings centre in central London in the spring.
Prof Jay said the inquiry would be "more agile, more open to participation, and more relevant to the needs of children".
The inquiry said it hoped to appoint a senior lawyer to replace Ben Emmerson QC within a few weeks, following his resignation in September.
He was cleared of allegations of sexual assault and harassment this week.
Inquiry officials said they hoped the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association, representing abuse victims from the former children's home group in Lambeth, would return to take part in the inquiry after pulling out recently.
They confirmed victims who did not want to give evidence would not be compelled to do so, despite the inquiry's powers to call witnesses who might be unwilling.
Inquiry officials also dismissed suggestions the process was moving too slowly and that some alleged victims and abusers might die before it was completed.


Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel said he was "not that bothered" about slicing 18 points off Fernando Alonso's lead in the world championship standings.

Media playback is not supported on this device
Vettel is 24 points behind the Spaniard after finishing second in the Belgian GP. Alonso crashed out at the start.
"Right now, I don't care in terms of scoring and points. Of course I care for the championship," Vettel said.
Fernando Alonso failed to match Michael Schumacher's record of 24 consecutive points-scoring finishes as a result of his crash.
"Fernando didn't finish, these things happen. There are a lot of races [left] and you saw how quickly things change."
He added: "I'm not that bothered about points and gaps."
Alonso was blameless in the first-corner shunt, in which Lotus's Romain Grosjean flew over his car after colliding with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.
The Spaniard said: "It was a disappointment because of the race points lost but also lucky because in five days' [time] I can be in the car in Monza."
The race was won by McLaren's Jenson Button, who had insisted beforehand that he still had an outside chance of the championship despite being 88 points behind Alonso.
Button reiterated that view after closing the gap to 63 points with 200 still available in the remaining eight races.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"It's a massive long shot to win the title but today proves you can claw back 25 points very quickly," Button said.
"A great day for me. It proves anything is possible.
"There are so many people who have a chance to win. There is a small chance I can fight for the championship. But going to Monza I don't think about the championship, I go to do the best job I can and get the most points I can."
Kimi Raikkonen finished third and moved ahead of Hamilton into fourth place in the championship, 33 points behind Alonso. Hamilton is fifth, still 47 points adrift.


A delay in paying welfare benefits to two disabled people was unlawful, the High Court has ruled.

Delays of at least nine months for Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) for these "most vulnerable" of people were unreasonable, a judge ruled.
But the court ruled the pair's human rights were not breached, which means they are not entitled to compensation.
The pair's lawyers said the ruling showed "clear failings" in the system, but ministers said it was improving.
PIPs, which began replacing Disability Living Allowance in 2013, are meant to help the long-term sick and disabled with some of their extra costs.
There are currently 78,700 people waiting to hear if they can claim PIPs, of whom 3,200 have waited more than a year to have their claims processed, and 22,800 have waited more than 20 weeks.
The claimants, known only as Ms C and Mr W, said the delays meant they struggled to pay for food and fuel, and this caused their health to decline.
Ms C, from Kent, who has ME, severe depression and other health problems, waited from September 2013 to October 2014 to have her eligibility assessed.
The court heard she lived a "hand-to-mouth" existence, spending £8 per week on food, and only left her home once a week to visit the supermarket.
In her judgement, Mrs Justice Patterson said Ms C was required to travel some distance for face-to-face PIP assessments despite the fact she had "explained her difficulty in travelling".
Ms C said she could not travel and was told her application would be cancelled, causing her "considerable stress and anxiety", but PIPs were eventually granted based on phone and paper evidence.
Mr W, who was a carpenter until he contracted ulcerative colitis in 2013 and had his colon removed, waited from February to December 2014 for a PIP decision.
The court heard both claimants were struggling financially, with their only income being Employment Support Allowance and Housing Benefit
Their lawyers said they had a right to the benefits and should have received them within a "reasonable time".
By Nikki Fox, BBC disability news correspondent
No-one is denying that the waiting times for a decision, even an assessment for PIP, has for many people taken far too long. Iain Duncan Smith himself admitted in June last year that the delays were unacceptable.
But now the High Court has gone as far as to say these long delays are unlawful. What, if any, impact will this have on the thousands of people still lost in the system?
Justice Patterson refused to say this could have wider implications apart from for the two anonymous claimants. Their solicitors hope this will open the door to further discussion with the DWP, so those thousands who have suffered financial hardship could get some kind of compensation.
But there may be many more legal challenges before that happens. However, for now, it does put pressure on the government over its plans to roll out PIP to 1.5 million disabled people across the UK.
There is a minimum accepted processing time of two months for each claim, and that can be extended if appointments for assessment are missed, as was the case with one of the claimants.
Mrs Justice Patterson said the claimants suffered significant disabilities and therefore their cases required speedy consideration.
She ruled that the delays in the cases before her were "not only unacceptable" but unlawful.
The claimants had argued their claim should be a treated as a test case but the judge rejected this.
Mrs Justice Patterson said the "considerable variations in individual circumstances" meant it would be "inappropriate" to grant a declaration in wider terms covering other cases of late payments.
The two claimants asked the court to declare that Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith breached common law and human rights duties to make payments within a reasonable time.
This breach was caused, they said, because of the magnitude of the delay - but the judge ruled this was not the case.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had agreed the delays were unacceptable but argued they were not unlawful, and said more than 800 extra staff were assigned to work on PIPs after problems emerged.
Anne-Marie Irwin, the public lawyer leading the cases, called the court's ruling "significant".
"Today's decision sends a clear message that the unacceptable delays faced by many people, may also be unlawful," she said.
"Attention must now turn to rethinking the planned wider rollout in October until reassurances can be provided that the delays seen in the past are not repeated in the future."
The DWP said successful PIP claims were always backdated.
Minister for Disabled People Justin Tomlinson said he was pleased the court had recognised the "huge progress" made by the DWP.
"The average new PIP claimant now waits only seven weeks for an assessment," he said.
"The court has rightly dismissed the claimants' absurd suggestion that their human rights had been breached."
A spokeswoman for Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledged there were problems in the original roll out of PIPs.
He fully supports the approach of the DWP, which is looking at where it could learn lessons, she added.
Labour's shadow minister for disabled people, Kate Green, said the ruling was "a damning indictment on the government's failure to get a grip of benefit delays" which had forced "thousands of people to rely on food banks to survive".
PIPs are benefit payments to help people aged 16-64 with "some of the extra costs caused by long-term ill-health or a disability".
They are available to employed and unemployed people, and claimants can receive £21.80 to £139.75 a week, depending on how their condition affects them.
This is determined by an assessment, and claimants are regularly reassessed, but government figures show more than 3,000 have been waiting for more than a year for their claims to be processed.
From April 2013, PIPs began replacing Disability Living Allowance.
This process is ongoing and the government says everyone who needs to switch to PIPs should have been contacted by late 2017.
Elliot Dunster, of the disability charity Scope, said the judgement "demonstrates the importance of extra costs payments to disabled people".
"Life costs more if you are disabled. Extra costs can make it extremely hard for disabled people to pay the bills. Every day without them is another day unable to afford the essentials in life."
Richard Kramer, from the national deafblind charity Sense, said these cases were "a reminder that there is some way to go before the system can be regarded as fit for purpose and customer-facing for all disabled people".
Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said delays to PIP assessments are "unacceptably common" and that the system was not fit for purpose.
"PIP is a key part of our welfare system. It defies common decency that some disabled people are waiting months on end just to find out if they're entitled to the necessary support."
Chris Mould, chairman of the Trussell Trust, which runs more than 400 UK food banks, said "benefit sanctions, changes and delays" were the biggest reason why people were referred to its food banks in 2014-15.


Manchester United and Liverpool are expected to discover next week if they will face more charges for illicit chanting at their Europa League tie.

Some fans of both clubs sang songs related to tragedies involving the other side in the 1-1 second-leg draw at Old Trafford on 17 March, with Liverpool winning the tie 3-1.
Uefa has already charged both clubs for crowd trouble, and Liverpool for illicit chants - reportedly critical of Manchester, rather than referring to the Munich air crash.
Europe's governing body was then made aware of the allegations of chanting about that disaster and the Hillsborough tragedy - and is expected to make a decision on possible new charges next week.
In 1958, eight Manchester United footballers were among 23 people who died after their plane caught fire and crashed in Munich.
The Hillsborough tragedy saw 96 Liverpool fans crushed to death at an FA Cup semi-final tie with Nottingham Forest in 1989.
The initial charges will be heard on 19 May.


An aviation company chaired by the Iron Maiden frontman is losing millions of pounds because of a dispute over landing rights, he has claimed.

Bruce Dickinson set up maintenance business Cardiff Aviation in 2012 at RAF St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan.
He said it was after verbal assurances from the Welsh Government he could use a landing system that he still does not have access to.
The Welsh Government said it will discuss the issue with Mr Dickinson.
Mr Dickinson said the Ministry of Defence (which owns RAF St Athan) will not let the company use an instrument landing system (ILS).
An ILS uses radio beams to give precision guidance to pilots as they approach the runway.
Without it, Mr Dickinson said planes can only land and take off during week days, in office hours and in good visibility, which has stopped him being able to bid for lucrative contracts.
He said he needs planes to land 24 hours a day and will have a meeting with the Welsh Government to discuss the issue.
A Welsh Government spokesman said it had worked closely with Cardiff Aviation and Mr Dickinson "for a number of years".
He added that officials will meet him next week to "discuss how we can continue to best support his business".
"The introduction of an ILS procedure is a matter for the Ministry of Defence and we continue to lobby them on behalf of Cardiff Aviation and the wider enterprise zone to ensure a favourable outcome for what is one of Wales' flagship industries," he added.
The MOD has been asked to comment.


Just over a decade ago, Poonam Gupta was a young mother running a small business when doctors told her she was at risk of dying from a rare auto-immune syndrome.

Ms Gupta, who owns Greenock-based PG Paper, was told by doctors that a cough or a cold could lead to a fatal stroke.
"At one point I actually left Scotland and went back to India preparing to die," she told BBC Scotland.
"That was a hard time for me because my daughter was just about one year old.
"Having recently lost my mother suddenly, when I was 26, it hit me hard. That's what kept me going. I just wanted to do my best for my daughter. I just wanted to live for her."
Poonam says it was in India that a doctor pointed out that she might have bone tuberculosis, a condition that is extremely rare in the UK but more common in India.
She was on medication and in a wheelchair for about a year as her foot swelled because of the disease.
"When I was finally discharged the doctor told me he had not had the heart to tell me I might never walk again," she says.
"But I wear high heels alright now. I'm fine. I go partying in them."
On Tuesday, Poonam will be partying at Buckingham Palace as she receives her OBE for services to business and charity.
She says: "I am delighted. I don't have words to express my joy actually.
"I just worked away and did what I did. I didn't expect something like this."
She adds: "I owe a lot to this country. It is the reason I have a career. I never felt ever that I was discriminated against for being an Indian or being a woman. I have always had everyone's support."
However, Poonam says her success in business was not easy and has taken a lot of work.
She arrived in the west of Scotland in 2002 after marrying Puneet, a Belfast-born pharmacist of Indian descent.
The couple settled in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, and Poonam, who has an MBA in International Business, went "knocking on doors" in the local area to try to get a job - even trying to get a checkout job at Tesco's in Greenock.
She says wherever she went she was told either she did not have any experience in the UK or was overqualified for the job.
"After a while I thought 'I'm going to run my own business' and I started exploring multiple commodities.
"My first company was called P2 locums and it used to place pharmacists in the NHS.
"I did that for a couple of months but my heart was always in international trade and I started exploring paper as a business.
"It took me 10 months of cold calling, research, visiting mills, visiting people, pretty much self-learning.
"My first deal finally came in October 2003. The name was born because the mill in Italy asked me what the name of the company was and I said PG Paper Co Ltd because I had to give them something."
The business she set up from her home 14 years ago now has a turnover of more than Â£20m and sells to 55 countries around the world.
"Our major markets remain Turkey, India, China and recently we have been expanding into South America," she says.
The commodity trading business exports 1,300 different paper products from office stationery to magazines, newspapers, toilet tissues and packaging, using warehouses at major ports around Europe and the US.
After she recovered from her illness Poonam, who had a second child during her treatment, says she threw herself into the business and into charity work.
She says: "I am from India. There are a lot of people who can use a lot of help in India."
Her main projects concentrate on female empowerment, helping young girls in India to get an education.
She set up the charity Scottish Circle to help women and girls around the world, inspired by her friend, Scottish singer Annie Lennox.
Poonam has built her company in Greenock and says she loves the area but admits that she found the accent difficult when she first moved to Scotland.
She says: "Although I had learnt English since I was 10, the accent and the way people speak English here is very different and I struggled.
"I said to my husband 'I will never understand anything'.
"But then I took a voluntary job for a couple of months in a chartered accountants and I think that helped me tremendously and I nailed it.
"I nailed the Scottish accent and now I absolutely love it by the way."


The sister of one of two Irish Coast Guard crew members missing since a helicopter crash has appealed for fishermen to help in the search.

Winch operator Paul Ormsby and winch man Ciarán Smith have been missing since Rescue 116 crashed off the County Mayo coast on 14 March.
Four people were on board the helicopter.
Capt Dara Fitzpatrick, died after she was rescued from the sea hours after the crash.
The body of her co-pilot, Capt Mark Duffy, was later recovered from the wreckage.
Orla Smith, the sister of Ciarán Smith, told RTÉ that local knowledge from fishermen along the west coast could be crucial in finding the two men.
"To all fishing vessels, big and small, from Achill Island to Aranmore we are appealing to them to please come and help us now.
"We need them, we need their knowledge. We need them to assist in the ongoing efforts to find Ciarán and Paul."
She also said that both her family and the family of Mr Ormsby were devastated when their bodies were not found with the helicopter's wreckage.
"We are doing our best to keep going to stay as strong as possible and as positive as we can be but it is tough.
"We need those boys home, now. We really do. My parents need him home. My sister-in-law needs him home. My nieces need him home. They have to come home now. We need to find him."
RTÉ has reported that fishermen in the area around Blacksod, County Mayo, are willing to take part in a major sea search in the coming days.
It is also hoped that larger fishing vessels will take part so that the operation could extend to about 35 nautical miles off shore.
An investigation into what happened to the helicopter is continuing.
The Air Accident Investigation Unit has said there was no indication of any mechanical problems in the seconds before the impact.
It is thought the inquiry into the cause of the crash on 14 March is now likely to focus on operational issues.


Colombia is investigating more than 150 cases of forced abortion by Farc rebels, the chief prosecutor says.

Female rebels were compelled to have abortions so as not to undermine their fighting ability, Attorney General Eduardo Montealegre told reporters.
The left-wing rebels have denied this in the past, saying contraception was readily available.
The Farc has fought a five-decade insurgency in Colombia but peace talks in Cuba have made significant progress.
Agreement has been reached in four broad areas during three years of talks with the Colombian government.
These include how the justice system deals with crimes committed by the rebels and government forces.
Rebel mothers seek lost children
Peace process: What's at stake?
Mr Montealegre said 150 former fighters had testified to being forced to have abortions.
"We have evidence to prove that forced abortion was a policy of the Farc that was based on forcing a female fighter to abort so as not to lose her as an instrument of war," he said.
Government figures suggest there are up to 8,000 fighters, a third of them women.
More than 220,000 people have been killed in the conflict, the majority civilians.
The Farc, which was formed in 1964 with a vow to install a Marxist regime, once controlled a swathe of Colombian territory the size of Switzerland.
But the group has suffered a number of setbacks in recent years and has become increasingly involved in the drug trade.


Glasgow Warriors will need to be on peak form to beat Munster on Saturday and keep alive their hopes of Champions Cup progress, says Peter Murchie.

Munster and Glasgow have both won three from four Pool 1 games but the Irish side lead the table by three points.
"It's a massive game," said full-back Murchie of the Scotstoun meeting.
"They'll come flying out at us. We've got to be more up for it than them. It's going to take our best performance of the season."
Munster have beaten Glasgow twice this season, a 16-15 success at Scotstoun in the Pro12 in December following a 38-17 home win for the Irishmen in European competition back in October.
If Gregor Townsend's team can avenge those losses and then defeat Leicester in their final pool match they will be guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals for the first time.
However, with only the five pool winners and the three best second-placed teams going through, anything less than two wins could leave the Warriors facing another European failure.
Following the 29-15 Pro12 home win over Cardiff Blues on Saturday, Murchie, 31, said: "We looked at the three-week period starting with Cardiff and ending with the two Champions Cup matches and said it could totally decide the end to our season.
"If we hadn't beaten Cardiff we'd have been under massive pressure in the Pro12.
"Now with these next two games we've got a chance to qualify from our group. If we beat Munster then Leicester, we'll make the quarters.
Media playback is not supported on this device
"There's not many times we've been in this position. We've talked about doing it for so long but now the boys are just so determined to make it happen this year."
Murchie deputised for the rested Stuart Hogg against Cardiff but after scoring two tries in the win Murchie is in no mood to relinquish the number 15 jersey.
"Stuart is a great player so when you get an opportunity, you've got to play well," he said.
"If you don't, you're probably not going to get to stay in the next week.
"We've got enough guys that we can swap things and change it round, so if you don't take your chance you'll miss out.
"I want to play in a successful team and do myself justice."


Searches are continuing for a kayaker missing in the Highlands for three days.

Jason Chung Yai-Ho, from Glasgow, was last seen in his inflatable red kayak off Traigh beach near Arisaig at about 16.30 on Wednesday.
He had set off despite an off-duty police officer warning him not to go out because of squally weather.
Two lifeboats, coastguard rescue teams and helicopter and police search dog teams have been involved in the search.
The helicopter search was stood down on Thursday night but coastal searches from Mallaig to Gortenachullish continued on Friday and Saturday.
Mr Chung Yai-Ho is 5ft 8in tall with short dark hair and a beard. He was last seen wearing a black waterproof jacket, black waterproof trousers and a black buoyancy aid.
His car, a red 2003 Toyota Corolla, was found parked near to the beach and has been recovered by the police.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Over the weekend there will be continued searches co-ordinated by police based in Fort William.
"Local officers will be supported by specialist search teams and dog units. Further assistance will be provided by HM Coastguard and the Lochaber mountain rescue team.
"If anyone has seen Jason or has any information regarding his current whereabouts or movements prior to when he was last seen on Traigh beach, they are urged to contact police on 101."


The Treasury's decision to abandon plans to let pensioners raise money by selling their annuities has been welcomed by the pensions industry.

The controversial idea was first aired in March 2015 by the then Chancellor George Osborne as part of his plan for "pension freedoms".
Despite deciding last December that the plan would go ahead next April, the government has now changed its mind.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said it was the "right decision".
The government admitted that too many pensioners might be lured into selling their annuities - an income for life - in exchange for a lump sum.
Acknowledging that most people would be best advised to stick with their current annuities, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Simon Kirby, said: "Allowing consumers to sell on their annuity income was always dependent on balancing the creation of an effective market with making sure consumers are properly protected.
"It has become clear that we cannot guarantee consumers will get good value for money in a market that is likely to be small and limited."
But the former pensions minister Ros Altmann said it was a missed opportunity.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: "It will be disappointing to tens of thousands of people who bought an annuity they didn't want, and didn't need."
Steve Webb, the pensions minister at the time of the so-called pension freedoms, said the issue had not been handled well by the government.
"There did need to be a lot of potential buyers for this market to work," he told the BBC.
"If you've got an annuity to sell, it's very hard to work out what it's worth if you're a member of the public."
Industry experts welcomed the move. Tom McPhail, of Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the UK's biggest annuity brokers, said the government's decision was right.
"After extensive research, at the beginning of September [we] announced that we would not be participating in the secondary annuity market."
"The risks to the vast majority of annuity holders outweigh the benefits for the small minority who could benefit," he pointed out.
The ABI agreed that the government was right to abandon the plan.
"The industry has consistently supported the freedom and choice reforms, but we agree with the government that the secondary annuity market came with considerable risks for customers, including from unregulated buyers," said Rob Yuille, the ABI's head of retirement policy.
The government's plan was controversial from the start.
Critics pointed out that anyone among the estimated five million people with annuities who sold them would almost certainly receive a poor deal.
The passing of time would mean that they would inevitably get poor value, receiving far less than they paid.
Insurance firms willing to buy second-hand annuities, and brokers willing to arrange the deals, would charge for their services, eroding the value of the annuity sale.
Last April, the Financial Conduct Authority underlined these concerns, saying that a new "secondary" market in annuities would mean a "significant risk of poor outcomes for consumers".
The regulator said that annuities were "inherently difficult for consumers to value, and consumers who will be able to participate in this market will include a higher proportion of older, more vulnerable consumers".


A driver who killed his girlfriend in a car crash while high on liquid ecstasy has been jailed for six years.

Marie Hardes, 56, died after Anderson Ward lost control of his Honda Accord and it was hit by two cars on the M3 in Winchester.
Ward was found guilty of causing death by careless driving, driving while disqualified and drugs possession after a trial at Winchester Crown Court.
Sgt Mark Furse said the crash had been "preventable".
It happened between junctions 10 and 9 on the northbound M3 on the evening of 10 November 2014.
Both Ward, 39, and Miss Hardes tried to get out of the car after it spun to a halt on the carriageway, but it was hit by two other cars in succession.
Miss Hardes, from Poole, suffered multiple injuries and was taken to the Royal Hampshire County Hospital where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
Ward, of Powys, Wales, suffered minor injuries.
Sgt Furse added: "Ward got behind the wheel of his car knowing that he had taken drugs despite the obvious dangers and the risk to his own life and the lives of others.
"He showed total disregard for the safety of others and as a result of his irresponsible and selfish actions his girlfriend of 14 years was killed."


An education watchdog has launched an investigation into alleged fraud at a Cardiff college and its sister campus in London.

It follows an investigation by BBC Wales' Week In Week Out into the West London Vocational Training College.
The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) said it would look at "academic standards and quality".
The college's owner, Bharat Bageja, has denied knowing of any wrongdoing in the recruitment of students.
A report will be published in the spring.
BBC Wales understands South Wales Police officers executed a search warrant at the college on Greyfriars Road on Friday and a number of items were seized, including computers and paperwork.
As part of the BBC's undercover investigation, a reporter, posing as a student, was offered a loan at the private college using fake qualifications.
The college, based on Greyfriars Road, has nearly 100 IT and business students.
Those on Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) can receive up to Â£17,000 a year in loans and grants, which will only be repaid when they earn more than Â£21,000 annually.
The investigation prompted the suspension of payments to the college and its Cardiff students.
A South Wales Police spokesman said: "To date, the investigation team has interviewed two previous employees of the college and have visited the college."


DNA tests have proved that a seven-year-old girl taken from a Roma family in Dublin on Monday is their daughter.

The family said they were "delighted" that their daughter had come home.
They also said they would be taking legal advice, and that serious questions have arisen over the procedures used in the case.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl had been removed by police from her Tallaght home and taken into temporary care.
The family have supported calls from human rights group Pavee Point for an independent inquiry into the investigation.
In a statement issued through their solicitor the family said: "Her removal has been a cause of huge upset to her parents, her brothers and sisters, and the young girl herself.
"They now intend to concentrate on looking after their family and, in particular, in trying to reassure their daughter that she will be left in their care.
"Our clients also wish to say they do not believe that what has happened to their family over the few days should ever have happened.
"They do not accept that this was any proper or sufficient basis to take their daughter away from them.
"They believe that there are very serious questions arising about the procedures used in this case but are going to wait for things to settle down and consider their position and that of their daughter in light of recent events and will be taking legal advice in respect of this."
A 21-year-old sister of the child, who can not be identified for legal reasons, said their mother had not eaten for three days because she was so distraught.
"Everyone was very sad," she said. The sister added she hoped no other family would have to go through a similar ordeal.
Meanwhile, a two-year-old boy from a Roma family who was briefly taken into care in County Westmeath has been reunited with his parents.
The boy was taken from his family on Tuesday in Athlone and returned a day later.
Alan Shatter, the Irish minister for justice, said he will be asking the Garda (Police) Commissioner for a report on the two cases.
A Garda statement said: "Protecting vulnerable children is of paramount importance to An Garda Síochána and we continue to work in partnership with the HSE (Health Service Executive) and other agencies to ensure children's safety.
"An Garda Síochána want to assure the community that we take extremely serious all reports received from members of the public concerning child welfare issues."
The Irish police action took place against the background of international interest in the case of a blonde-haired child being taken from a Roma family in Greece last week.
Greek police are investigating whether the girl had been abducted.


Russian President Vladimir Putin has unexpectedly dismissed his chief of staff Sergei Ivanov.

Mr Ivanov has been part of Mr Putin's trusted inner circle for many years.
The 63-year-old has now been made a special representative for environmental and transport issues.
A statement from the Kremlin said that Mr Putin had "decreed to relieve Ivanov of his duties as head of the Russian presidential administration", but gave no reason.
Mr Ivanov's deputy since 2012, Anton Vaino, has been appointed as his successor.
Mr Vaino, 44, is a former diplomat.
Born in the Estonian capital Tallinn in 1972, he graduated from the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and served in the Tokyo embassy. Later he managed presidential protocol and government staff, the Kremlin website says (in Russian).
On being appointed, he told Mr Putin: "Thank you for your trust. I think the administration's most important task is to support your activity as head of state in terms of drafting laws and control over how your instructions are implemented."
Mr Putin told a Russian TV station on Friday that Mr Ivanov had asked to leave the post, and recommended that Mr Vaino should replace him.
This is a move that has mystified Moscow. Sergei Ivanov has long been one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies and, like him, served in the Soviet security service, the KGB.
As chief of staff he was one of the most powerful men in the country. In a meeting with President Putin shown on state television both men claimed that the chief of staff was stepping down at his own request.
But despite the smiles for the cameras, few here are convinced - especially now, just before parliamentary elections.
So is this the fall-out from some kind of power struggle? No-one knows yet. But the official claim - that a man once touted as a potential president, suddenly wanted to run Russia's environmental policy - has been met with great scepticism.
Putin's inner circle
In remarks to Mr Putin, quoted on the Kremlin website, Mr Ivanov said "it's true that in early 2012 I asked you, in a conversation, to entrust me with this very complicated post, even - you could say - troublesome post, for four years.
"Well, it turns out that I've been presidential chief of staff for four years and eight months."
Mr Ivanov took up the post in December 2011. He served previously as a deputy prime minister and defence minister.
He is a member of the Russian Security Council and a former member of the KGB state security service, like Mr Putin.
In the late 1990s, when Mr Putin was head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), which replaced the KGB, Mr Ivanov was appointed as his deputy. When Mr Putin came to power, he named Mr Ivanov as one of the five people he trusted most.
It was once thought that Mr Ivanov might become president of Russia after Mr Putin's second term, as a third term for Mr Putin would have been unconstitutional.
But that post was taken by another close Putin ally, Dmitry Medvedev. Mr Putin became prime minister, before returning to the presidency just three-and-a-half years later.


Fashion model Cara Delevingne is set to play a key role in a film adaptation of the novel Paper Towns, by John Green of The Fault in Our Stars fame.

The British 22-year-old, who has become a fixture on catwalks around the world, will play the pivotal role of Margo Roth Spiegelman.
US novelist Green told his 3.1 milllion followers on Twitter that Delevingne's audition "blew everyone away".
"She understands Margo profoundly," he wrote. "I am so excited!"
Delevingne's role follows appearances in Joe Wright's upcoming Peter Pan film Pan and two other novel adaptations, Tulip Fever and London Fields, that have yet to be released.
She was also seen at the Toronto Film Festival in Michael Winterbottom's The Face of an Angel,  a drama inspired by the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.
The screenplay for Paper Towns is currently being written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber, who also adapted The Fault in Our Stars.
Actor Nat Wolff, who had a supporting role in that teen romance, will co-star with Delevingne as Spiegelman's friend, Quentin Jacobsen.
His character follows a series of clues after Margo disappears, having being recruited by her to wreak revenge on her enemies.
Delevingne, who was recently seen modelling at London Fashion Week, also reacted to the news on Twitter, saying she too was "so excited".
Delevingne has reportedly been a less regular fixture on catwalks in recent months, leading to speculation she is preparing to devote more time to her burgeoning film career.


Uganda coach Milutin 'Micho' Sredojevic says Africa has bowed to 'pressure from Europe' following radical changes to the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Confederation of African Football confirmed last week that the tournament will be held in June and July instead of January and February. and will be expanded to 24 teams from 16.
Sredojevic - whose own future is currently the subject of speculation - was speaking a day after Uganda beat Sudan 5-1 in a 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier.
It has been so tough to qualify for Afcon with 16 teams and indeed only deserving teams could make it
"Though not directly, Africa succumbed to the pressure of Europe to have this tournament played when it's best for them," Sredojevic told BBC Sport.
"I have never believed some of these theories that come from Europe on having the Afcon in January and February," added the Serbia-born coach.
Caf say the approved changes to the Nations Cup will take effect from the next edition of the tournament in Cameroon in 2019.
Sredojevic helped Uganda reach the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon - the Cranes' first appearance at a finals in 39 years - and says he does not believe the changes will benefit teams or players.
"The Congress and the people who made the changes I am sure have looked at the marketing and money side of the tournament more than the quality."
Supporters of the changes say that moving the tournament will make African players more attractive in the transfer market as they will not have to leave a club mid-season, but Sredojevic says he does not "buy into some of these theories."
He says he hopes standards remain high and that facilities - especially playing fields - are not hampered by factors such as weather.
"It has been so tough to qualify for Afcon with 16 teams and indeed only deserving teams could make it," he reasoned.
Meanwhile, the Uganda coach has admitted on social media that he has received other offers, as speculation about his future grows.
The Ugandan Football Association released a statement, denying reports that Sredojevic had resigned and confirmed that the FA President, Moses Magogo, will meet with him on Monday.