For the good people of Dumfries, flooding on the Whitesands has joined death and taxes in the old adage about the world's only certainties.

Every spell of heavy and persistent rain sparks worried looks at the fast-flowing waters of the River Nith.
For those who grew up in the town, it has been added to the lengthy list of things which have "aye been".
Efforts to tackle the issue - in their latest guise at least - can be traced back the best part of 30 years.
It was in the mid-1980s that the then regional council commissioned consultants to undertake a flood study and report back on what measures could be taken.
In 1988 a price tag of £2.2m was attached to building defences and a further £2.1 for drainage work.
The council concluded that the overall impact of such measures would not be acceptable and opted, instead, for reliance on a flood warning system.
Fast forward about a decade and another study looked at the issue.
Direct flood defences with upstream storage was considered to be the preferred option based on the economic analysis.
It proposed a 1.4m fixed defence embankment with a demountable barrier on top to a maximum height of 2.3m.
The capital costs, like the waters of the Nith on a stormy day, had risen steeply to £8.7m.
By 2011, another study was commissioned - this time to review the previous work and produce a design for the flood protection scheme.
A project to protect the Whitesands was estimated to cost about £9.6m at that stage.
As the process rumbled on, the flooding problems in the area continued to crop up.
In 2013, a bid was made to secure priority status for the project in Dumfries and Galloway Council's investment strategy.
Two years later and a life-sized model was put onto the Whitesands to give an idea of the scale of the project - with costs now having hit £15m.
All the while, opposition persisted to the proposals with various attempts to get them dropped.
The issue was raised in the Scottish Parliament and a Save Our Sands group campaigned against the scheme.
They were worried about the loss of views, reduction in parking and the ever-increasing price.
However, it appeared as if - at the end of last year - a way forward had finally been found.
A bid to force the council to rethink the scheme failed and the path was cleared to let the now £25m project go ahead.
That had not taken into account a turn in the political tide at recent council elections.
The Labour group which had been running the authority as a minority was joined in coalition by the SNP which had campaigned with a promise to revisit the scheme.
It prompted the decision to refer the matter to the Scottish government which looks set to lead to a public inquiry.
A Scottish government spokesperson said this week that it had yet to receive that referral.
"Upon receiving a referral, an independent reporter from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) would be appointed in due course to consider the proposed plans and make a recommendation to ministers," the spokesperson added.
The upshot is that more time will be required to discuss the project before any sign of work taking place.
Opponents will be pleased that there is still a possibility that the scheme could be shelved once and for all.
Its supporters must be increasingly frustrated by yet another delay to actually tackling such a long-standing issue.
And, meanwhile, Doonhamers will look at cloud-laden skies pretty confident in the knowledge that they will still bring the waters of the River Nith out onto the streets sooner or later.


The husband of a dentist who was arrested over her death has said she "took her own life" as he told of his family's "devastating loss".

Dr Helen Nicoll, 53, was found dead at home in Frog End, Great Wilbraham, Cambridgeshire, on Friday.
Her husband and partner in their dental practice, Stephen Nicoll, 53, was arrested on suspicion of murder before being released on Tuesday.
A post-mortem examination revealed Mrs Nicoll died from asphyxiation.
Mr Nicoll was released by police with no further action and his bail cancelled.
The couple had three children and worked together in their clinic in Hurst Park, Cambridge while Mr Nicoll also practises in London's Harley Street.
Mr Nicoll said in a statement: "These last few days have been the worst of my life.
"Nobody can understand the true loss that my children and I have experienced following the discovery that my wife Helen has taken her own life.
"I would ask everybody, particularly the media, to respect our privacy and allow us to come to terms with our devastating loss and to begin the grieving process as a family following this tragedy."
He added his family had "fully co-operated" with police and his wife's death had been referred to the coroner.
Mr Nicoll's solicitor Paul Oliver said: "The arrest of Mr Nicoll in the immediate aftermath of the death of his beloved wife and the consequential media interest in this tragic case compounded the distress caused to him and his family.
"The police have confirmed Mr Nicoll is not a suspect and he and his family now ask that their right to grieve in private be respected."


The Ugandan prime minister's website was attacked by hackers on Tuesday and Wednesday, a government official has confirmed to the BBC.

Screen grabs showing the website with messages from gay activists are being circulated on social media sites.
In one, the prime minister apologises to all homosexuals living in Uganda and gives his support to a gay pride march.
Homosexual acts are illegal in Uganda and gay people have faced physical attacks and social rejection.
Earlier this year, a controversial anti-gay bill, which proposes to increase the penalties for homosexual acts from 14 years in jail to life, was re-tabled in the Ugandan parliament.
The bill was first introduced in 2009 but never debated - and the MP backing the legislation says a clause proposing the death penalty will be dropped.
It originally said those found guilty of "aggravated homosexuality" - defined as when one of the participants is a minor, HIV-positive, disabled or a "serial offender" - would face the death penalty.
The Uganda Justice Law and Order Sector website was also reportedly taken over by hackers this week.
Ambrose Ruyooka, commissioner for the Information Communications Technology ministry, told the BBC the problem had now been rectified.
The government has created a directorate of security for all government websites and tightened cyber laws to counter rising cyber crime, he said.
An activist named @DramaSett3r on Twitter is said to be behind the attacks.
The operations were carried out by a group known as The Elite Society and the Anonymous hacktivist community, the activist said.
On Wednesday, the official website of Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi quoted him as saying: "We have got to expel the narrow mindedness from this country, and begin afresh, starting with a full and formal apology to all homosexuals living in Uganda today," screen grabs on Twitter and Facebook show.
A message allegedly posted by the hackers on the prime minister's site on Tuesday said: "Your violations of the rights of LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] people have disgusted us.
"All people have the right to live in dignity free from the repression of someone else's political and religious beliefs."
The East African nation is a largely conservative society and many people condemn homosexuality both as unAfrican and unChristian.
Western donors have recently said they could withdraw aid from those countries, including many in Africa, which do not recognise gay rights.


Air quality alerts will be introduced across the capital during the worst incidents of air pollution, The Mayor of London has announced.

Notices will be displayed at bus stops, river pier stops, Tube stations and on road signs, from 15 August.
Sadiq Khan said he hoped the warnings would "become less and less frequent" as pollution is reduced.
The Supreme Court ruled in April that London's air quality breaches European clean air rules.
A Clear Air consultation launched by Mr Khan in July revealed 79% of people wanted to be told when pollution was high.
The warnings will be displayed the day before and during high pollution days at 2,500 bus countdown and river pier signs, the entrances to all 270 Tube stations and on 140 roadside dot matrix signs.
Mr Khan said it was the first step towards London putting in place a comprehensive air pollution incident plan.
"I believe that Londoners have a right to know about the quality of the air that they breathe," he said.
9,400
People die from air pollution in London each year
500,000 aged under 19 who live in areas that breach EU limits
443 schools that have unsafe pollution levels
86 of these are secondary
2025 year London is expected to meet EU limits
The mayor has proposed a series of measures to tackle the problem, including introducing charges for the most polluting vehicles in the Congestion Charge Zone.
Professor Paul Monks, chairman of the Air Quality Expert Group, said the signs would help people understand the scale of the air pollution problem.
"Information is a good thing. The next big step is to make sure policies benefit both air quality and climate change," he added.
Leon Daniels, from Transport for London, said the alerts were an important part of the group's work to improve air quality.
A more detailed consultation will take place later this year and some measures could be implemented as early as 2017.


The Welsh secretary and the UK trade minister have begun a two-day tour of successful firms in Wales, as part of a drive to boost exports.

Starting in north east Wales, Stephen Crabb and Lord Maude's visits include Airbus in Broughton and Wrexham-based financial services company DTCC.
Mr Crabb said he wanted to "showcase our country to the world", and show how the UK government could help companies.
Foreign investment created over 5,000 Welsh jobs in 2015, ministers said.
"Last year 4,000 Welsh companies took their first steps into export, and this year we are already up to 3000," Mr Crabb said as the tour began on Thursday.
"I urge those companies considering exporting to go on the Exporting is Great website or come to the first ever Exporting is Great roadshow in Wales, which kicks off next month."
Lord Maude added: "It has been inspiring seeing the enthusiasm for exporting here in Wales, and hearing the success that can be achieved when companies start to expand overseas.
"With exports approaching Â£3bn each year in Wales alone, there is clearly demand out there for UK products and services."
On Friday, Lord Maude will be in Deeside, visiting Toyota's engine plant and medical supplies firm ConvaTec, where he will meet the Welsh government's Economy Minister Edwina Hart.
UK Trade and Investment, the government department responsible for encouraging investment by overseas firms, works with the Welsh government to bring projects to Wales.
On Wednesday, Mrs Hart announced plans for up to 44 events in 16 countries to raise Wales' trade and tourism profile in 2016-17.


Babies born on the same day as the new prince are to receive a silver penny made by the Royal Mint.

The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a son on Monday afternoon in London's St Mary's Hospital.
The mint in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, announced earlier this month that children who shared the birthday would be able to receive one of the coins.
It has struck 2,013 of the coins. Parents wishing to claim one need to register on the Mint's Facebook page.
Shane Bissett, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint said coins had been used to celebrate special events for over 1,000 years.
"We're honoured to be able to mark this momentous occasion in our own way, which is in keeping with an age-old tradition to mark a new birth with a gift of silver for good luck," he said.
"We send our very best wishes to their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and extend this to new parents across the country today as they celebrate their own special arrivals."
The coins are worth Â£28 each.
In order to claim, parents need to visit Facebook.com/theroyalmint and register their child's birth within 60 days. They will also need to provide their child's birth certificate.


Safety measures on an Isle of Man road are to be reviewed after a motorcyclist plunged 100ft (30m) into a ravine on Thursday.

It is the second motorbike crash at the Devil's Elbow hairpin on the Peel to Kirk Michael coast road in as many days, said police.
Both riders were rescued by Coast Guard and Fire Service rescue teams and escaped with "minor injuries".
The Isle of Man Constabulary said it will be reviewing safety at the site.
No other vehicles were involved in either incident.
The road, which is on the west coast of the island, is not part of the Isle of Man TT course.
Two visiting motorcyclists have already died in separate accidents on open roads on the island this week.
Sgt Andy Pailor said: "Whether you live on the island or are visiting for the TT it is imperative you ride or drive to your limits and take proper notice of the road signs."


Dame Helen Mirren and Idris Elba have both scored three nominations at the 2016 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) awards.

Dame Helen is nominated for her roles in The Woman in Gold and Trumbo, while Elba is nominated for Beasts of No Nation and BBC drama Luther.
Eddie Redmayne, last year's SAG best actor winner, has been nominated again for his performance as transgender pioneer Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl.
The awards are often seen as key indicators for the Oscars.
For the past 10 years, the winner of the best actor category has gone on to triumph at the Academy Awards.
If Redmayne was to triumph, he would be the first actor to win twice in a row since Tom Hanks in 1994 and 1995.
Dame Helen is nominated for best actress in The Woman in Gold in which she plays real-life Jewish World War Two survivor Maria Altmann, who fought the Austrian government over Gustav Klimt paintings stolen from her family.
She will compete against Saoirse Ronan for Brooklyn, Sarah Silverman for I Smile Back, Brie Larson for Room and Cate Blanchett for Carol.
Dame Helen is also nominated for best supporting actress and as an ensemble cast member for Trumbo, about the real life Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo.
In the best supporting actress category, she is recognised alongside Rooney Mara for Carol, Rachel McAdams for Spotlight, Alicia Vikander for The Danish Girl and fellow Brit Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs.
As well as his ensemble cast nomination for Beasts of No Nation, Elba receives a best supporting actor nod for his part as the charismatic but ruthless Commandant in the film, who keeps his young recruits in his thrall in the African warfare picture.
He is nominated alongside two more Brits - Mark Rylance in Bridge of Spies and Christian Bale for The Big Short, alongside Michael Shannon in 99 Homes and nine-year-old Jacob Tremblay for Room.
Elba's other nomination is for his starring role in Luther, recognised in the TV movie/miniseries category.
Redmayne has been nominated for a second consecutive year in the best actor category.
The star is nominated alongside Michael Fassbender for Steve Jobs, Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant, Bryan Cranston for Trumbo, and Johnny Depp for Black Mass.
Trumbo, The Big Short, Spotlight, Straight Outta Compton and Beasts of No Nation are all nominated for their ensemble cast performances.
In the television categories ITV's Downton Abbey received two nominations - best ensemble drama series and best actress for Dame Maggie Smith for her role as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham.
Other British stars who received nods included Sir Ben Kingsley in Tut and Mark Rylance for BBC Two drama Wolf Hall.
The best ensemble drama category features Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Homeland, Mad Men and House of Cards.
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright were both recognised for their individual performances in House of Cards, with Jon Hamm also receiving a nod for his role in the last series of Mad Men.
The best ensemble comedy category saw The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Orange is the New Black, Transparent, Veep and Key & Peele nominated.
The SAG awards honour the year's top achievements in film and television and are voted for by more than 100,000 actors.
The winners will be announced at a televised awards ceremony in Los Angeles on 30 January.


Investment in flood defences and building on flood plains are key issues for Tewkesbury, candidates have said.

Labour's Ed Buxton said flood plain land had disappeared in many areas and Liberal Democrat Alistair Cameron, wants "stronger planning controls".
During the BBC Radio Gloucestershire debate, UKIP's Stuart Adair said waterways needed to be dredged.
Laurence Robertson, Conservative, said a "lot of schemes" had already been put in place.
The Green Party's Jemma Clarke, is also standing as a candidate in the constituency.
Liberal Democrat Alistair Cameron said although "some money" had been spent on flood defences, "additional investment" was needed.
"We have to have a very careful planning policy as well and we certainly should not be building houses on the flood plain," he said.
Conservative Laurence Robertson said it was "very important to take care where houses are built".
"It's not just whether the new houses themselves flood. I think it's very easy to build houses which don't flood any more with the technology which exists now."
Labour's Ed Buxton said the borough council had not been "robust enough" but said something had to be done to ensure "flood defences are actually built".
But Stuart Adair, UKIP, said the "simple solution" was to dredge waterways.
"It doesn't happen because the European Union says that silt is an industrial waste and can't be spread on fields as fertilizer anymore," he said.
The candidates for the constituency are:
Stuart Adair, UKIP
Ed Buxton, Labour
Alistair Cameron, Liberal Democrat
Jemma Clarke, Green
Laurence Robertson, Conservative


Middlesex leg-spinner Nathan Sowter has signed a new two-year contract with the club.

The 24-year-old Australian has mainly played in T20 Blast games, but his deal will see him feature in all formats.
He has taken 27 T20 wickets in 30 appearances for Middlesex and made his first-class debut earlier this month.
"It's been a long journey to get to this point, with some tough decisions along the way, and I'm delighted the future is settled here," Sowter said.


Nearly 90 Oxford University students living in a hotel after work on a new halls of residence overran will finally move into their new digs in January.

Cohen Quad in Walton Street was due to be completed in August but was delayed, leading Exeter College to book the Jury's Inn instead.
It says the rooms will be ready in time for the new term.
A spokesman said work had taken longer than anticipated, describing the new building as "complex".
Exeter College said it was careful to ensure the 86 students were housed at the same hotel, and college staff have an office on site seven days a week.
It added students had recently moved into accommodation provided by other colleges, nearer the city centre.
"The support of students - their academic and welfare needs - have been the college's priorities throughout this period," a spokesman said.
The new quad, the university says, will include en-suite study rooms, a cafe, teaching rooms, a concert auditorium, a reading room, and special spaces for rare books, manuscripts and archives.
Prices for rooms at Oxford's Jury's Inn start at Â£115 a night.


Motherwell have signed striker Jacob Blyth and defenders Ben Heneghan and Richard Tait after agreeing a new one-year deal with captain Keith Lasley.

Midfielder Lasley, 36, has been with the Premiership club since 2006.
Blyth, 23, ended last season on loan from Leicester City to Blackpool, scoring twice in eight appearances for the League One club.
Tait, 26, helped Grimsby win promotion to League Two and Heneghan, 22, was with National League rivals Chester.
Motherwell say clubs from the English Championship had also been interested in signing Heneghan, an England C international who joined Chester from Stoke City in 2014.
Manager Mark McGhee told his club website: "In each situation, we had to battle hard against clubs on both sides of the border.
"Ben will come in and battle it out with Kieran Kennedy, Louis Laing and Stephen McManus for a centre-back position and Richard is an experienced and talented right-back who had a really strong season at Grimsby.
"Jacob gives us something we've not really got in attack, which is a big, powerful, strong centre-forward who will run in behind."
Blyth came through the youth ranks at Leicester but failed to make the first team with the English champions.
The Englishman had previous loans with Burton Albion, Notts County and Northampton Town then scored once in six appearances for League Two outfit Cambridge United before ending the season with Blackpool.
Galashiels-born Tait, who previously played for Nottingham Forest and Tamworth, joined Grimsby Town from Cambridge United last summer and helped his side defeat Forest Green Rovers in a play-off to return to the Football League.
Tait has signed a three-year contract, with the other two being given two-year deals and Blyth having a third-year option.
Lasley had been asked to take a pay cut but has now followed McManus and goalkeeper Craig Samson in extending his stay at Fir Park.
He will also continue assisting under-20s coach Stephen Craigan and take the under-17s along with McManus.
Lasley, who is in his second spell with Well, told the club website: "It has taken a bit of time, but I am really pleased we've managed to get a deal done and I am raring to go,"
"I've never made any secret of my feelings for this club; everything we've been through and enjoyed together over 15 or so years.
"It has been brilliant and I am sure there can be more good times to come."
Left-back Steven Hammell is still considering the reduced terms on offer at Fir Park, while forward Scott McDonald is considering whether to exercise the option of extending his contract.
McGhee added: "We've got other areas of the park we're looking to strengthen and will continue trying to nail our top targets."
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


People in Lancashire who have had to boil tap water for nearly a month are to be given up to £60 in compensation.

More than 300,000 homes have been affected in the county after a parasite was discovered at a treatment works.
United Utilities said payments would range from £50 to £60 depending on when the advice to boil water was lifted. The move will cost them more than £15m.
Conservative MP for Fylde Mark Menzies said the size of the payment was a "disgrace" and "woefully inadequate".
"I think the figure of £50 or £60... in no way reflects the inconvenience people have been put through over the last month without drinking water," he added.
"I am disappointed because when I met with United Utilities last week they said they were consulting on how much they should be giving consumers and were unable to even speculate on the figure."
Mr Menzies said for a company that made "almost £700m in profit last year, to offer this paltry sum is a disgrace."
United Utilities said that while it was offering the same payment to business customers, they would deal with claims for additional expenses on a case-by-case basis.
Paul Maynard, Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys, warned United Utilities: "I would be very disappointed if [customers] receive a cheque for this amount only for their bills to go up by the same amount next year."
And he urged anyone who believes their compensation to be inadequate to contact him or the Consumer Council for Water.
Gary Dixon, customer services director for United Utilities, said the level of compensation had been set following discussions with the Consumer Council for Water.
"We recognise that our customers have been significantly inconvenienced over the last few weeks and they rightly deserve to be compensated.
"The payment reflects that inconvenience and takes into account the additional cost for boiling the water and a refund for water services over the period.
"We are grateful for our customers' co-operation and patience over the last few weeks."
United Utilities said residents and businesses would start to receive cheques in the post from Friday, but said some would not receive them until the end of the month.
Warnings to boil water were issued after the microbial parasite cryptosporidium was found at Franklaw water treatment works near Preston on 6 August.
Restrictions have been lifted in some areas, with more than two-thirds of homes back to normal.
Water has been treated with ultraviolet (UV) light to kill the parasite, which can cause diarrhoea and cramps.
The water firm said it hoped to lift restrictions for most of its remaining customers by the end of the week.
Customers can check which areas have had restrictions lifted by visiting the United Utilities website or calling 0800 912 7241.


The family of a schoolboy who was swept out to sea by waves off Anglesey and never found, will hand over £10,000 to RNLI from funds raised by a trust set up in his name.

Isaac Nash, 12, from Huddersfield, was on holiday when he got into difficulty at Aberffraw in August 2014.
The volunteer lifeboat crew at Trearddur Bay have also bought a plaque which will be placed in its boathouse.
An inquest earlier this year concluded Isaac's death was through misadventure.


The mother of a two-year-old girl found dead months ago and only now identified has been arrested over her death, police in Massachusetts say.

Her boyfriend is to be charged with the girl's murder.
Called "Baby Doe" by Boston police, the girl was found by a woman walking her dog on 25 June. She was finally named on Friday as Bella Bond.
Police commissioned a computer-generated image to help identify her which was shared millions of times.
At a news conference late on Friday, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said police had received a tip-off which had allowed them to solve the mystery.
He said he had authorised the arrest of the girl's mother, Rachelle Bond, 40, as an accessory to murder, and her partner, Michael McCarthy, 35, for murder.
Ms Bond is in custody, while Mr McCarthy is in hospital being treated for an unrelated medical condition, Mr Conley added.
"At just shy of three years old, Bella Bond was a true innocent," he said. "This child, whose very name means beauty, was murdered."
Mr Conley did not comment on how the girl died or on any possible motive. No signs of trauma have been found on her body.
The case received a massive response on social media and drew thousands of new visitors to government websites.
Police received hundreds of tips from the public, but they were unable to find anyone who knew the girl until now.


Friends of a 17-year-old boy who died after taking drugs at Leeds Festival have said they don't want him to be remembered for how he died.

Lewis Haunch collapsed at the event and was pronounced dead in hospital shortly after midnight on Sunday.
Two 17-year-old boys held in Greater Manchester on suspicion of drugs offences have been released on bail.
Erica McGuinness, a friend, said: "All his close friends will remember him for the fun person that he was."
About 40 people held a candle-lit vigil on Sunday in his home town of Leigh in Greater Manchester.
Ms McGuinness said: "Everyone's really upset, he was really popular and it was really sudden.
"We're expecting him to come around the corner and tell us it's a joke, it's going to take us a while to get it into our heads."
She added: "He was a very clever lad, so if he would have known it would have caused harm to him or anybody else he wouldn't have done it."
A total of 58 people were arrested at Leeds Festival, with the majority in relation to drugs offences.


Bombardier has won a $5.6bn (£3.84bn) order for its C Series passenger planes from American airline Delta.

It has placed a firm order for 75 of the aircraft, with an option for 50 more.
Bombardier described the deal as a "watershed moment", after orders had stalled for two years.
Wings for the aircraft are manufactured in Belfast. In February, the firm announced  1,080 job losses at its five Northern Ireland plants.
It said cost over-runs and delays to the C Series project were a major factor.
Earlier this month, the firm adjusted its job cuts programme in Belfast, announcing a  greater number of redundancies in 2016.
The latest order is the largest in the history of the Canadian-owned aerospace firm.
Analysis
Confirmation of the Delta order will lift two years plus of gloom surrounding the C Series.
This is a symbolic win over Boeing and Airbus.
It will provide a much-needed fillip for the project and help steady the Bombardier business.
Unions in Belfast will ask what it means for jobs.
Bombardier has already begun trimming its local workforce by a planned 630 this year.
Unless anything changes, there would be a further 450 redundancies in 2017.
No clarity is likely on that in the immediate future.
But workers will be heaving a sigh of relief at the news - boosting morale as well as company finances.
Alain Bellemare, chief-executive officer of Bombardier, said the news of a new order of C Series planes showed the company's "turnaround plan" was gaining traction.
"Our decisive actions to improve our operations and business model across all our businesses are starting to pay off."
Michael Ryan, vice-president and general manager at Bombardier Belfast, said:  "We're delighted that another customer has placed such a significant order for the C Series aircraft.
"This is a further endorsement of the aircraft's excellent operating economics and environmental credentials, to which we in Belfast are contributing with the production of the advanced composite wings."
Initially, Delta is taking the smaller CS100 model of the plane.
The company has been under severe financial pressure as cost overruns on its new C Series jet have drained cash out of the company.
The C Series programme received $1bn (almost £700m) from the provincial government in Quebec last year.
The firm has also been hit by a downturn in the business jet market.
Bombardier is the largest manufacturing employer in Northern Ireland and supports hundreds more jobs through its supply chains.
More than half of the jobs being cut this year come from the firm's "complementary labour force".
That part of the workforce is made up of temporary and contract workers and tends to fluctuate depending on demand.
Late last year the Northern Ireland workforce was asked to accept pay cuts and other changes to terms and conditions with the firm saying it was  "in serious financial crisis".
However the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected in a ballot of union members.


Christine Ohuruogu has withdrawn from the British Championships in Birmingham because of a virus.

The championships double as Olympic trials although it is not thought the former world and Olympic 400m champion's Rio place is at risk.
She tweeted: "Sorry guys, won't be running today, I have been fighting a virus and not ready to resume racing."
Ohuruogu, 32, won gold at Beijing 2008 and silver at London 2012, and was world champion in 2007 and 2013.
On Thursday, Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford also pulled out of the trials because of fitness concerns.
The 29-year-old made the precautionary move after suffering whiplash at the Birmingham Diamond League on 5 June.
BBC chief sports writer Tom Fordyce
"With the requisite two performances under the 400m qualification mark, both from last year, Christine Ohuruogu's place at her fourth Olympics is not immediately in doubt because of her late withdrawal from the trials.
"The selectors have a third discretionary place even if the first two women across the line in the final both have the times too, so the great championship performer - gold in Beijing, silver in London, twice the world champion - remains in the hunt for Rio."


One of the world's most capable deep-sea research subs has been lost.

The robotic vehicle Nereus went missing while exploring one of the ocean's deepest spots: the Kermadec Trench, which lies north east of New Zealand.
Surface debris was found, suggesting the vessel suffered a catastrophic implosion as a result of the immense pressures where it was operating some 10km (6.2 miles) down.
Nereus was a flagship ocean explorer for the US science community.
"Nereus helped us explore places we've never seen before and ask questions we never thought to ask," said Timothy Shank, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), which managed the sub's activities.
"It was a one-of-a-kind vehicle that even during its brief life brought us amazing insights into the unexplored deep ocean, addressing some of the most fundamental scientific problems of our time about life on Earth."
Ocean trench: Scroll 11,000m down
The $8m (Â£4.7m) robot was built in 2008 and could operate in an autonomous mode or remotely controlled via a tether to a support ship to explore the Earth's deepest oceanic trenches.
It used a lot of innovative technologies that allowed it to do things and go places that were off-limits to other research submersibles.
These technologies included rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, similar to those used in laptop computers, for extended power, and single-hair's-width fibre-optic cables - borrowed from torpedoes - for control and telemetry.
Leading British oceanographer Jonathan Copley, from the University of Southampton, said the loss of an underwater vehicle was an ever-present risk.
"To obtain some kinds of knowledge - particularly when physical samples are required for analysis - there is no alternative to sending equipment into the deep ocean, because the ocean's watery veil masks its depths from many forms of 'remote sensing'", he wrote on a University of Southampton blog this weekend.
"And although we have learned a lot from a century or so of largely 'blind sampling' by equipment such as trawls and seabed corers (which are still fine for answering some questions in some areas), we now often require more detailed sampling and surveying, using deep-sea vehicles, to answer further questions."
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos


The number of young rugby players taking steroids is "worrying", says UK Anti-Doping chief Nicole Sapstead.

She spoke out as three lower-league players were banned from all sport for breaking anti-doping rules.
Andrew Quarry was banned for 12 years for supplying anabolic steroids, while Brandon Walker and Connor Stapley received four and two-year bans.
"The rise in the number of young people turning to steroids continues to be a worrying trend," Sapstead said.
The UK Anti-Doping Agency chief executive urged people with information about steroid use in the sport to get in touch.
Former Kendal RUFC player Quarry received a suspended jail sentence for conspiracy to supply a controlled class C drug in 2013. That led rugby and anti-doping authorities to pursue the player.
"Removing a dealer of anabolic steroids from the game - someone who made a conscious choice to cheat the system and the law - is a positive result for the sport," Sapstead said.
Walker, who was registered with Esher RFC, tested positive for the anabolic steroid oxandrolone in an out-of-competition squad test.
Henley RFC's Stapley tested positive for methandienone and mesterolone but the RFU ruled his offence was not intentional as it was caused by taking a supplement.
Last year, the first rugby player to receive a four-year ban for taking steroids told a BBC Radio 5 live investigation that it was "widespread" among players, with many taking the banned drugs for "body image" reasons.
Daniel Spencer-Tonks, who played both rugby codes, is one of more than 60 union and league players to have banned since Ukad was set up in 2009.
Both the RFL And RFU have said they carry out a comprehensive testing regime.
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Campaigners have welcomed a ruling by a senior judge that abuse victims should be able to access legal aid to fight attempts by lawyers to obtain their medical records.

Here Sarah Scott describes the shock she experienced when details of her medical history, which were so personal her own mother did not know about them, were brought up in court by her rapist's QC.
My name is Sarah. I live in the north east of Scotland. I am a mother. I am a rape survivor.
In May 2011, my rapist, Adrian Ruddock, was convicted at the High Court in Aberdeen and sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
In the days that followed my rape, I struggled to cope mentally and emotionally. I didn't want to deal with it - I couldn't. The pain, the trauma, it consumed me.
This culminated in me attempting to end my life. I was admitted to A&E and given life-saving treatment.
It was here, in my fragile mental state - still dazed, confused, traumatised, still bleeding from the tears when he ripped me open - that I was given a piece of paper to sign by police officers.
It was a consent form for my medical records to be used as evidence. I wasn't given any legal advice, I wasn't even offered a choice. It was handed to me and I was to sign it.
I was never told what this information would be used for. I was certainly never told that my rapist's QC - Ronald Renucci - would broadcast personal information from my childhood in court.
I tried to prepare myself in the months that followed for giving evidence. I made detailed notes - I filled notebooks with everything that could be asked of me in court.
I was determined to be prepared for everything and anything. But I placated myself with the belief that legislation would prevent my rapist's QC from attacking my character. I was wrong. Very wrong.
Giving evidence can only be described as re-victimisation and secondary violation. In other words: being raped all over again.
I knew that I would have to tell the court in chilling detail precisely how this man violated me, I knew the defence were going to paint me as some scorned temptress, I knew it was going to be difficult.
Look, to the world I epitomise the old cliche of "asking for it". I am the perfect imperfect rape victim. I was drunk. I was wearing a short skirt. I knew the man who attacked me. I willingly, albeit under false pretences, went back to his home.
But nothing prepared me - or rather, no one prepared me - for the fact that my previous mental health records were going to be lambasted in a courtroom full of strangers.
While cross examining me, Renucci asked something that shocked me. He asked me if I had ever self-harmed in the past.
I was confused. I was angry. I didn't understand. When I was a young teenager - around 13-years-old - I was bullied at high school. I was depressed.
I resorted to self-harm to deal with my pain. I had only confided this detail to a school psychologist, maybe my doctor. I hadn't even told my own mother.
But here, at the trial of my rapist - some seven or more years later - this incredibly personal information was being broadcast to all - journalists, the jury, the judge, and worst of all, the man who only five months prior had repeatedly raped me.
I am sure he could see the colour drain from my face, I am sure everyone could. My heart felt like it had 1,000 anchors pulling it to the ground. I wasn't prepared for this.
All those hours of taking notes and I didn't see this coming. I was blindsided. Completely blindsided. I looked around, desperate for someone to save me, to help me, to see that this was not right. But it was in vain. I proclaimed something along the lines of:  "Do I have to answer that?".
The judge, Lord Bracadale, told me that I did, in fact, have to answer. He told me that only the prosecution were allowed to object to a line of questioning. They didn't.
So there, alone, I had to tell the world that when I was a little bullied girl I cut myself to deal with the pain.
Normally in life when someone is verbally attacking you and your identity and character you can walk away. You can ignore them. You can leave the room. I couldn't do this. I had to answer his questions.
I was so traumatised that I didn't want to go back in that courtroom. I told staff that I was running away. I was told I had no choice - a warrant for my arrest would be issued otherwise.
It sounds cliche, but I truly did feel like I was on trial - I was on trial for being raped.
Why were my mental health records brought up in court that day?
My rapist was convicted after a majority verdict. I will never know how many of those jurors thought that I was lying. I will never know what their reasons were, but in my mind it's clear: it's at least in part because of those medical records. I may be wrong, but that's truly what I believe.
My experience is not unique: since my assault, I have spoken to countless survivors who have experienced the same thing I have. It's not right. It's not fair. It cannot continue. Something has to change.


Apple chief executive Tim Cook has become the latest boss to criticise President Donald Trump over his response to the white nationalist rallies in Virginia.

Mr Cook said he did not agree there was a "moral equivalence" between white supremacists and "those who oppose them".
Mr Trump has disbanded two business councils after top bosses resigned.
Mr Cook said Apple will also make donations to human rights charities.
In an email to staff obtained by BuzzFeed News Mr Cook said: "I disagree with the president and others who believe that there is a moral equivalence between white supremacists and Nazis, and those who oppose them by standing up for human rights.
"Equating the two runs counter to our ideals as Americans."
He added that "in the wake of the tragic and repulsive events in Charlottesville, we are stepping up to help organisations who work to rid our country of hate".
Apple will donate $1m to both the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. It will also match two-for-one any staff donations to these and several other human rights groups until 30 September, Mr Cook said.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump said he was scrapping two business councils after more bosses quit over his handling of the violent clashes in Virginia.
Business leaders left the White House manufacturing council after the backlash against how he reacted to the far-right rally last weekend.
The clashes culminated in a woman's death and nearly 20 wounded when a car ploughed into a crowd of anti-fascist protesters.
Mr Trump's reaction has sparked outrage and generated global headlines.
His announcement on Twitter came as the heads of 3M, Campbell Soup, Johnson & Johnson and United Technologies announced their resignations on Wednesday.
Mr Trump said: "Rather than putting pressure on the businesspeople of the Manufacturing Council & Strategy & Policy Forum, I am ending both."
Before Mr Trump's announcement, the Strategy and Policy Forum announced it was a joint decision to disband the council.
Businesses have been under pressure to distance themselves from Mr Trump over his handling of the clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia.
On Monday, Mr Trump belatedly condemned the white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups that rallied in a small Virginia town on Sunday.
But in a rancorous news conference on Tuesday he backtracked and again blamed left-wing counter-protesters for the violence too.
JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon, a member of the Strategy and Policy Forum, released a separate statement on Wednesday saying he strongly disagreed with Mr Trump's recent statements, adding that "fanning divisiveness is not the answer".
"Constructive economic and regulatory policies are not enough and will not matter if we do not address the divisions in our country. It is a leader's role, in business or government, to bring people together, not tear them apart," he said.
Denise Morrison of Campbell Soup said she could not continue to participate in the advisory panel after Mr Trump's comments. Activists had called on Campbell Soup, among other firms, to take action.


Manager Richie Foran says Inverness Caley Thistle must rid themselves of "two or three bad apples" after they were relegated from the Premiership.

A win over Motherwell was not enough and Foran, who wants to stay on as manager, felt let down by some players.
The manager made reference to "two or three bad apples in the dressing room".
And he added: "I probably should have got rid of them in January. I stayed loyal to a lot of players and some of them didn't pay me back."
Inverness won three of their last four Premiership matches as they fought to finish in the play-off spot.
But Hamilton Accies' 4-0 hammering of Dundee on Saturday ensured they will face Dundee United for a spot in the Premiership next term, while Inverness will play Championship football despite their 3-2 win over Well.
"It's obviously disappointment," Foran added. "The best clubs in the world get knocked down, it's how you rebuild and come back. I've told the players there are far worse off people in life.
"But it happens in football. It is not all rosy. It is not all about winning all the time. I've been part of relegation teams - you stay loyal, you rebuild. You get knocked down, you get back up again.
"You need to get rid of the two or three players you don't want, that haven't given 100%, and I look forward to getting rid of those three.
"Of the starting 11 today, I would hope to have at least 10 of those for next season [midfielder Greg Tansey is leaving to join Aberdeen]. I am very proud of the players and when we got the right team playing, we could finish well, with guys giving their all for the club."
Foran, who was a player at the time, stayed with Inverness when they were relegated from the top flight in 2009.
One year into a four-year contract, he hopes to do the same as manager.
"I want to be here next season," he said. "I will have a chat with the board probably on Monday or Tuesday and will find out what their thoughts are. But I am 100% behind this club and I expect to be here next season.
"There are changes to be made, on and off the field. Personally I want a smaller squad.
"I have got to look at myself as well. I haven't performed well enough. I have learned a heck of a lot this season - about myself, about players, the trust of people around you, and people you don't trust.
"One of my favourite seasons as a player was getting promoted, because we stuck together. I was part of the relegated team and helped them come straight back up, and I hope to do the same next season."
One player who will not be there is Tansey, who signed a pre-contract agreement with Aberdeen in March.
The midfielder, 28, was dismayed to leave on the back of relegation but felt he had given his all for the cause.
"It is never nice, but I can look myself in the mirror," said Tansey, who scored his seventh goal of the season in the win over Well, having scored nine last term.
"I gave all I could and have finished very similar to last season goals-wise. Sometimes things happen like that. You just have to move on as a professional footballer and get on with it.
"We probably thought we were too good to go down, but we have got to be at it every game."


(Close): Shares in London closed higher, with the FTSE 100 ending up nearly 1%, helped by gains in banking and mining shares.

Lloyds Banking Group rose 2% and Barclays was up 0.6% after the banking regulator proposed a deadline for consumers to claim compensation for mis-sold payment protection insurance.
But credit checking firm Experian slumped 3.8% after a data theft.
Hackers stole data of more than 15 million customers.
The information was related to customers of mobile phone firm T-Mobile, which was held by Experian.
"Undoubtedly a breach of this magnitude is a major setback, especially to a company that takes data security very seriously ... Experian's business is that of handling data, which makes this incident particularly embarrassing," analysts at Barclays said in a note.
"T-Mobile is obviously reviewing its relationship with Experian. In itself the loss of one client is fairly immaterial but if it triggers other account reviews, it could become more significant."
FirstGroup fell 0.7% after it said trading for the first six months of the year had been in line with expectations.
On the currency markets, the pound was 0.6% higher against the dollar at $1.5224 but was 0.17% down against the euro at â‚¬1.3501.


The tiny island of Raasay is to have it first legal whisky distiller.

Iain Robertson is a graduate of Heriot-Watt University's Brewing and Distilling School in Edinburgh.
He has been appointed distiller of R&B Distillers' Raasay Distillery, which is being constructed at the site of a former Victorian hotel.
In the past, whisky was made illegally on the island off Skye using illicit stills. The new distillery is to due to open in September.


An oil company has been served with an improvement notice after inspectors found more than 180 "safety critical" work orders outstanding on one platform.

Talisman Sinopec had not been given approval to delay 159 of the orders on the Clyde platform.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) carried out an inspection last November.
The company has been given until the end of May to comply.
The inspector's report said the operators had failed to properly implement its procedures and had failed to effectively control its preventative and protective safety measures.
A Talisman Sinopec spokesperson said: "We have made substantial progress in addressing the issues raised by the HSE and are well ahead of the target of complying with the terms of the Notice by the deadline of May 2015.
"The safe operation of all TSEUK sites is our number one priority.
"The facility remains fully operational and the safety of all those on-board is not compromised by the matter identified by the HSE."
WWF Scotland has expressed concern that  a number of work orders were able to build up on the Clyde platform.
The charity's director Lang Banks said: "It's good to know that the HSE is doing its job well. However, it's extremely worrying to learn that Talisman Sinopec has allowed such a large list of safety critical work orders to build up on this one platform.
"It's critical that regulators do not allow oil and gas operators to use the current difficulties being faced by the industry as an excuse to cut corners when it comes to protecting people or the environment."
Earlier this week, Talisman announced plans for 300 job losses from its North Sea operations.
It said 100 staff and 200 contractors would be affected, from a workforce of about 3,000.
The company said it needed to take appropriate action to offset the declining oil price and increasing operating costs.
BP, Shell, Chevron and Conoco Phillips have all announced reductions to their workforces recently.


A McLaren supercar was reduced to a twisted, burned-out wreck after it struck a building and burst into flames.

The driver and passenger of the 570S, which sell for around £143,000, escaped with minor injuries following the crash at Heywood, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire.
The fire service was called to Westbury Road just before 06:30 BST on Sunday.
Crews found the occupants had made it out of the burning sports car, which was stuck beneath a collapsed wall.
Images taken by Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue show small fragments of the car's distinctive orange paintwork are still visible.
It is not known what speed the McLaren had been travelling at prior to the crash.
Damien Bence, from the fire service, said it was "absolutely amazing" the car's occupants walked away from the scene.
"Prior to hitting the building it snapped an electric pole in half, and forced the top half of the pole through the window of the house," he said.
"We were confronted with a live electrical cable which was strewn across the highway so crews had to negotiate their way through part of a wood in order to get to the incident."
The 563hp super sports car has twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 engine and can accelerate from 0-62mph (100km/h) in just 3.2 seconds.
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Scottish Natural Heritage has revoked a licence to control wild birds on a Borders estate as a result of "ongoing concerns" about wildlife crime.

It said police were now investigating "potential offences" at Raeshaw Estates near Heriot.
SNH put a general licence restriction on the estate in 2015 on the basis of "clear evidence" from police that wildlife crimes had been committed.
The estate has rejected any allegation of being engaged in wildlife crime.
It previously challenged the 2015 restriction via judicial review but it was upheld.
During a compliance check this month, SNH said its staff had found "multiple instances" of breaches of conditions of an individual licence that had been granted to cover essential management activities on the estate.
It said the breaches could also constitute offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, so it has reported the details to Police Scotland.
Robbie Kernahan, SNH's head of national operations, said: "After discovering several failures to comply with the terms, we have no other option than to revoke the licence.
"In cases like this, we have to take breaches of licences very seriously and will work with Police Scotland as they investigate this case.
"We hope this also spreads the message that we will take action to stop wildlife crime whenever possible."
RSPB Scotland's head of investigations, Ian Thomson, said the move at the estate came as no surprise.
He welcomed the licence revocation but said that it was clear that more needed to be done.
"The time has come for a robust regulatory regime, including the licensing of gamebird shoots, where wildlife crimes with a proven link to estate management could lead to a loss of shooting rights," he said.
A spokesperson for Raeshaw Estates said it rejected any allegation of being engaged in wildlife crime.
"There is no suggestion by anyone of any protected bird found being dead, injured or trapped," he said.
"We believe the issue here primarily surrounds the alleged incorrect siting of legitimate traps to catch crows.
"The estate staff believe they have been acting in full compliance with the provisions of the licence and we will be seeking meetings with the relevant authorities as a matter of urgency."
He said the company had always had a good working relationship with SNH and would work with them to resolve any issues as soon as possible.


A rising number of Democratic lawmakers have said they plan to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration at the US Capitol on 20 January.

More than 50 House Democrats are refusing to watch as Mr Trump is sworn in as the 45th US president amidst a feud between the newly elected president and the civil rights activist and congressman, John Lewis.
Mr Lewis, a revered veteran of the 1960s struggle, sparked controversy on Friday when he called Mr Trump's victory illegitimate because of Russia's alleged interference in the election.
The president-elect hit back on Twitter, attacking the Georgia lawmaker as "all talk, talk, talk - no action or results", which prompted a wave of outrage from people saying if anyone embodied action, it was the 76-year-old.
Dozens of members of Congress have announced they will skip the event.
"I will not celebrate a man who preaches a politics of division and hate," Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota tweeted following the row.
"Skipping Inauguration. @RepJohnLewis a civil rights hero. Enormous responsibility to be POTUS. I respect the office, can't tolerate disrespect," Maryland Representative Anthony G Brown also tweeted.
The number grew to more than 40 over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend, but that did not stop Mr Trump from continuing to rail against the civil rights icon on Tuesday.
The president-elect tweeted that Mr Lewis had falsely claimed this would be the first inauguration he has missed since joining Congress in 1987.
"WRONG (or lie)!" Mr Trump tweeted, saying Mr Lewis had skipped George W Bush's inauguration in 2001.
Mr Lewis' office confirmed that he did miss Mr Bush's ceremony.
"His absence at that time was also a form of dissent," said spokeswoman Brenda Jones.
"He did not believe the outcome of that election, including the controversies around the results in Florida and the unprecedented intervention of the US Supreme Court, reflected a free, fair and open democratic process."
Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington
Although everything connected with President Donald Trump seems unprecedented, this isn't the first time an opposition party has boycotted a presidential inauguration in sizable numbers.
According to Arizona State University historian Brooks Simpson, 80 lawmakers missed Richard Nixon's 1973 swearing-in ceremony.
Representative John Lewis, a vocal Trump critic who plans to stay at home on Friday, also sat out George W Bush's 2001 event, along with some other members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Nothing quite compares to the harsh glare of today's media spotlight, however, and coverage of today's protesting politicians is only being amplified by Mr Trump's Twitter broadsides against his critics.
As with any such partisan show of defiance, there's a risk the move will cause wavering Republicans to rally around their embattled president.
At this point - with conservatives holding sway in Washington, DC - party unity is perhaps the most important factor in whether Republicans can successfully enact their policy agenda.
While making a show of sitting out the inauguration might be a feel-good moment for liberals with few arrows in their political quiver, going forward their success will depend on finding ways to fracture Republican ranks, not steel their opponents' resolve.
Mr Trump's team has welcomed the congress members' empty seats, saying that they will be given back out "to the people".
"As far as other people not going, that's OK, because we need seats so badly," Mr Trump said in a Fox News interview on Wednesday.
Trump's transition team have reportedly been unable to attract A-list celebrities to the event, but Mr Trump said they were "never invited".
"I don't want the celebrities, I want the people, and we have the biggest celebrities in the world there," he said.
Trump's team have been running adverts on Facebook and Twitter "personally inviting" people to come visit Washington for the inauguration and featuring a video of Mr Trump promising that the concert will be "really fantastic".
An estimated 800,000 to 900,000 people are expected to flood the nation's capital on Friday for the inauguration, but it is unclear whether they will be there in celebration or protest, officials said.
President Barack Obama drew an estimated 1.8 million people to Washington when he took office eight years ago.
The "level of enthusiasm" and demand for hotel rooms has not reached that of previous inaugurations, according to Elliott Ferguson, president of Destination DC, the city's convention and tourism bureau.
In fact, some hotels have reduced the minimum-night stay from four nights to two.
Other hotels are only 50% full, but higher-end hotels appeared to have more bookings, he added.
"It's been much, much slower than anyone would have anticipated for a first-term president," Mr Ferguson said.
Mr Trump's swearing-in comes at a time when the nation appears deeply divided after the contested election.
Though Mr Trump swept the electoral college, his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by almost 2.9 million more votes.
Some Clinton supporters have said they are leaving the city.
Robert York, a 48-year-old charity specialist who lives in the Washington suburbs, has booked a cruise because he says he cannot stay and support a president who attacks a hero like Lewis. He says the majority of his friends are also leaving.
"The mass exodus of DC residents is simple - people are fearful of this incoming administration, and we have a president-elect who has shown he is not ready to lead this great nation."
Recent polls have also suggested historically low marks for any presidential transition.
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll found just 40% of Americans view Mr Trump favourably compared with the 79% President Obama received in 2009.
A CNN/ORC survey released on Tuesday also indicated that Mr Trump had a 40% approval rating compared with the 84% Mr Obama had in 2009.
A Gallup poll conducted two weeks before the inauguration found 51% of respondents disapproved of how he is handling the presidential transition compared with 44% who approved.
But the president-elect on Tuesday dismissed the polls as "phony" and "rigged", insisting that "people are pouring into Washington in record numbers".
An estimated 200,000 people are also expected to convene in Washington a day later for the Women's March on Washington.
Nearly 200 activist groups and organisations have signed on to support the grassroots march.
It sets out to demonstrate for racial and gender equality, affordable healthcare, abortion rights and voting rights - issues perceived to be under threat from a Trump presidency.


Three women, including one who was shot during a London police raid, have been charged with preparing a terrorist act.

Rizlaine Boular, 21, from central London, Mina Dich, 43, from south-west London, and Khawla Barghouthi, 20, from north-west London have also been charged with conspiracy to murder.
They were arrested following a counter-terror operation last month in which Ms Boular was shot by police.
They will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.
Ms Dich, who is the mother of Ms Boular, was arrested in Kent and Ms Barghouthi was arrested in north-west London on 27 April.
Ms Boular was arrested three days later after being discharged from hospital.
All others arrested in connection with the investigation have been released from police custody, the Metropolitan Police said.


Two former coalition partners of Brazil President Dilma Rousseff say they will vote for her impeachment over claims she manipulated government accounts.

The Progressive Party (PP), which quit the coalition on Tuesday, says most of its 47 MPs would vote for the impeachment.
The Republican Party (PRB) said its 22 members had been told to vote for it.
The move comes weeks after the PMDB, the largest party in the the lower house, voted to leave the coalition.
Ms Rousseff says her opponents are plotting a "coup".
She faces an impeachment vote in the lower house on Sunday, amid claims she juggled the accounts to make her government's economic performance appear better than it was ahead of her election campaign two years ago.
She denies the allegations, and her supporters say the issue is not valid grounds for impeachment anyway.
A PP spokeswoman told AFP news agency on Tuesday: "The party decided to withdraw from the... alliance, by majority decision." The PP is the fourth-largest party in the 513-seat lower house.
Hours later, the leadership of the PRB confirmed to BBC Brasil that its members had been told to support the removal of the president or face sanctions, including possible expulsion.
While the two developments weaken the position of the president ahead of the impeachment vote, its outcome is uncertain with many members of the lower house still undecided.
A two-thirds majority - 342 MPs - is needed to send the impeachment case to the Senate.
A recent poll, before the PP's announcement, showed 300 in favour of impeachment and 125 opposed, leaving 88 MPs still undecided or not stating their position.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Rousseff suggested that her Vice-President Michel Temer was one of the ringleaders of the "coup" attempt against her.
She said a widely distributed audio message of Mr Temer appearing to accept replacing her as president, was evidence of the conspiracy. However, she did not identify him by name.
"They now are conspiring openly, in the light of day, to destabilise a legitimately elected president," Ms Rousseff said.
She referred to "the chief and... the vice-chief" of the plot, an apparent reference to Mr Temer and lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha.
Brazil is "living in strange times", she said, "times of a coup, of farce and betrayal".
Mr Temer has said that the message was released by accident.
Speaking in an interview with the conservative Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper on Tuesday, Mr Temer argued that he had spent weeks away from the capital Brasilia specifically so that no-one could accuse him of plotting behind the scenes.
On Monday evening, amid rowdy scenes, a 65-member congressional committee voted 38 to 27 to recommend going ahead with impeachment proceedings.
MPs are due to start debating on Friday, officials said, with voting beginning on Sunday at about 14:00 (17:00 GMT). The result should be known later in the evening.
Security is expected to be stepped up around the Congress building in Brasilia as the vote takes place.
While President Rousseff's opponents say the impeachment is supported by most Brazilians, the president's supporters have labelled it a flagrant power grab by her political enemies.
If the president and Mr Temer are both suspended from office, the next in line to assume the presidency is Mr Cunha.
However, he is facing money-laundering and other charges.
From billions being stolen from state oil giant Petrobras by private construction firms and politicians, to a powerful senator negotiating for a key witness to flee from jail, the country has been rife with jaw-dropping corruption revelations.
Yet with all the investigations, one person has managed to keep a fairly clean record - President Dilma Rousseff.
Ms Rousseff's personal record on corruption may be untarnished so far - but her handling of the economy has been highly controversial. And this is the argument the opposition has been advancing to get her impeached.
Making what critics say are bad decisions on the economy is not a crime. But one of the measures taken by Ms Rousseff and her team back in 2014 was deemed illegal by a federal court.
Brazilian governments are required to meet budget surplus targets set in Congress. Ms Rousseff is accused of allowing creative accounting techniques involving loans from public banks to the treasury that artificially enhanced the budget surplus.
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513 members of the lower house of Congress
342 votes needed to move process to the Senate
41 senators out of 81 must vote in favour to begin impeachment trial
180 days she could be suspended for during the hearings
Lower house vote: An impeachment vote is expected in the lower house on Sunday. A two-thirds majority is required for it to go forward to the Senate. Latest surveys suggest the number in favour is short of the total needed to carry the motion.
Senate vote on trial: If Ms Rousseff case is sent to the Senate, a simple majority is enough to suspend her for up to 180 days while she is put on trial. Vice-President Michel Temer would step in during this period.
Impeachment vote: For Ms Rousseff to be removed from office permanently, two-thirds of the Senate would have to vote in favour. Mr Temer would remain president for an interim period should this happen.


An investigation has failed to find the source of an outbreak of a rare strain of E. coli that left some children with lifelong kidney damage.

Ten children were among 31 people in Dorset to contract the O55 strain between July 2014 and November 2015.
The Public Health England investigation closed in March but some families said they had not been informed.
The parents of two affected children said they are "disappointed and frustrated" by the news.
The investigation also involved the Food Standards Agency and local authorities, but it now seems unlikely the source will ever be known.
Gabrielle Archer's son Isaac Mortlock was three when he contracted the bug. He suffered permanent kidney damage and may need a transplant.
Miss Archer, from Bournemouth, said: "He has to be fed through a tube. He's now five-and-a-half, has only just started school full-time and has regressed to wearing nappies,"
"He will not lead the life he would have lived."
She said she felt her family had been treated "appallingly" during the investigation, mainly due to a lack of communication.
"We have never had official information, in writing, to say the investigation had closed. We just assumed it had because after two years we are still waiting for it to be resolved," she said.
"You can't just learn to live with this - there's no closure, it's so frustrating."
Another parent, Neil Fincham-Dukes, is from Bath but visited Dorset, where the cases were centred.
He said: "I'm disappointed Public Health England hasn't spoken to us about it given the severity of the incident - it's very frustrating."
His son Joseph suffered kidney failure when he was three and his daughter Poppy, who was one at the time, also became ill with the infection.
Although Poppy made a full recovery, Joseph has long-term kidney complications.
Public Health England [PHE] has not yet responded to the comments by Miss Archer and Mr Fincham-Dukes.
However, it did describe the investigation as "extensive" and added control measures had included "extended screening and exclusion of cases and high risk contacts".
Dr Sarah Harrison, from PHE South West, said there had been no further cases of the infection since November 2015, but added the agency remained "vigilant".
She said work on a new test - using microscopic magnetic beads to investigate the source of future outbreaks of the strain - is due for completion in early 2017.
The test is being developed by the Animal Plant and Health Agency, which could also use it to look at the incidence and prevalence of E. coli O55 in animals.
PHE had said the O55 strain had never before been recorded in England.
Source: Public Health England


The mother and grandmother of a baby killed by a banned breed dog have been charged in connection with her death.

Molly-Mae Wotherspoon, aged six months, was attacked at her mother Claire Riley's home, by an American pit bull on 3 October last year. She died later in hospital.
Ms Riley, 22, of Daventry is accused of being the owner of a dangerously out of control dog resulting in a death.
Susan Aucott, 54, of Kettering, has been charged with the same offence.
An inquest heard Molly-Mae died of blood loss from head wounds.
The coroner said the family had "paid the ultimate price" for having an illegal breed of dog.
The animal, prohibited under the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act, was destroyed.
Supt Andy Cox, head of the county's operational command unit, said: "These incidents are extremely rare and it is the first time in Northamptonshire that someone has been charged with this offence.
"It took some careful consideration from experts within CPS to come up with the final decision."
Both women were charged under dangerous dogs legislation, with being the owner or person in charge of a dog, dangerously out of control, that caused injury to Molly-Mae resulting in her death.
They have been released on bail and are due before Northampton Magistrates' Court on 21 September.


"Doctor my wife is pregnant. She is having pain right now," he says.
"Is this her first child," asks the doctor.
"No, this is her husband speaking," answers the man.
Many would find this a rather lame and harmless joke, but this is exactly what gets Harvinder Chowdhury's goat.
This is also one among the 60-odd gags that the feisty 54-year-old Delhi-based Sikh lawyer has submitted to the Supreme Court, while seeking a ban on jokes involving her 20-million-strong community.
In an unprecedented plea to the top court last week, Ms Chowdhury, herself a lawyer for the past three decades, says that there are 5,000 websites which sell jokes "projecting Sikhs as unintelligent, stupid, idiot, foolish naive, inept, not well versed with English language and as symbols of stupidity and foolishness".
These jokes, she says "violate the fundamental right to life and to live with dignity", and so the sites carrying them should be banned.
The puzzled judges, while agreeing to hear the rather dire plea, wondered why she sought such a ban.
"Many people we know take these jokes sportingly. It may not be an insult but only some casual comic statement for amusement. You want all such jokes to stop but Sikhs may themselves oppose it," said the judges.
But sitting in her poky room in a warren of lawyer's chambers near the Supreme Court in Delhi, Ms Chowdhury says she's not willing to take these "insults" lying down any longer.
"Enough is enough. We Sikhs have endured a lifetime of mockery. My children want to drop their Sikh surnames because they face a lot of ridicule. When I protest against this, people say I am a Sikh woman, so I must be mad," says an agitated Ms Chowdhury.
"The jokes are the bane of Sikhs. They have to go."
Ms Chowdhury - who says she studied law in the UK and worked as a cab driver, samosa maker and at a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet during her time there - conflates the "racism, hatred and sexual harassment" that she has faced as a woman with the jokes targeting the Sikh community. She also says her family was targeted during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, where more than 2,000 people died.
(Source: Harvinder Chowdhury's petition in the Supreme Court)
"I have fought with fellow lawyers in the courts for making fun of Sikhs. I have slapped people who have cracked Sikh jokes at my expense. I know of a newly married Sikh couple who were hurt because somebody presented them with a Sikh joke book at their wedding."
Now she's marshalling her forces to persuade the judges that she has a watertight case for a ban: a Sikh MP has supported her ban, and a college in Punjab has joined the issue and petitioned the court. Sikhs have begun visiting her at her chamber and the main group that looks after Sikh temples in Delhi have offered her support.
Ms Chowdhury has also shot off letters to school principals requesting them to give "counselling to children to stop enjoying and spreading [Sikh] jokes".
One Sikh commentator wrote that he supported the ban because "India needs to grow up and stop being the kid at the dinner table listening wide-eyed to and laughing at crassness. It needs to stop despite the fact that we all hold free speech dear".
This is not the first time Sikh jokes have been under pressure.
In 2007, police registered a case against leading businessman Anil Ambani for circulating jokes "insulting" the Sikh community, when a Sikh leader in Uttar Pradesh blamed his mobile-telephone company for the text-messaged jokes. The company which circulated the jokes apologised. The same year a bookseller was arrested in Mumbai for selling Sikh joke books and "hurting religious sentiments".
Many believe Sikh jokes, like all jokes playing on stereotypes and comedy about one's race, are harmless fun. There are jokes about the Italians, the Polish and the English, and in India, there are plenty of gags which play around stereotypes such as Bengalis, for example. (One Bengali is a poet, Two Bengalis are a film society, Three Bengalis are a political party, Four Bengalis are two political parties.)
Nobody quite knows when Sikh jokes became a part of pan-Indian humour, but Sikh joke books - many written by Sikhs themselves, and a few by India's best-known Sikh writer Khushwant Singh - have been available for a long time.
With the advent of the internet and smart phones, Sikh jokes have become a veritable industry, with joke factories around India writing and selling them on phones. Most feature two fictional characters, Santa and Banta - and their funny, and sometimes, tasteless, gabfest.
India's Sikh community - despite being targeted in one of the worst riots in post-Independence India which left it with deep psychological scars - is among its most successful minorities. Hardworking and entrepreneurial, they dominate the armed forces and make successful businesspeople, sportspeople and farmers. They travel widely and work and thrive all over the world.
Jawaharlal Handoo, who has written extensively on Indian folklore, suspects that the success story of Sikhs may have bred anxiety among non-Sikhs. "I suspect this may have threatened the Hindu ego and created an anxiety which in turn seems to have taken the form of various stereotypes and the resultant joke cycle."
Sociologist Shiv Visvanathan echoes a similar sentiment, but believes most of the stereotypes involving the Sikhs brim with naivete and are "friendly, even playful". The jokes have spread, he believes, because the community is migratory, mobile and ready to work in diverse professions.
"Stereotypes cannot be equated with identity. But the problem these days is that identity has become a fetish. People have become touchier. So there are more demands for bans," says Mr Visvanathan.
Tell that to Ms Chowdhury and she flies into a bout of mild rage.
"These jokes are racist. Everybody seems to be having fun at the expense of our community. This is unacceptable, this has to go."
That's clearly not a joke.


Four people have been charged following an investigation into the shooting of three swans in Pembrokeshire.

Dyfed-Powys Police received reports that two swans had been shot dead at Withybush Woods, Haverfordwest on 22 October 2016.
A cygnet was also injured and had to be put down.
Three men, aged 32, 23 and 19, and a 13-year-old, have been charged with firearms offences and offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
They will appear before magistrates.


A knife remains "unaccounted for" at a privatised prison, a union has claimed.

Napo, which represents probation workers, said it understood the Stanley knife went missing at HMP Northumberland two weeks ago, but no lock-down or search was ordered.
It comes a week after concerns were raised about safety in the prison.
Sodexo Justice Services, which took over the facility in 2013, said all appropriate security procedures were followed.
Mike Quinn, from Napo's Northumberland branch, said: "The report of a knife potentially in the hands of a prisoner is deeply concerning.
"If true, it just confirms the dire state of the prison, and has major safety implications for staff, visitors and prisoners.
"We would repeat calls made last week for an immediate inspection of the prison."
The Ministry of Justice said that as it was a privatised prison, it was up to Sodexo to comment.
A Sodexo spokesman said: "All the appropriate security procedures were followed - to suggest otherwise is simply untrue."


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he's looking to add defensive "experience" after Per Mertesacker's knee injury.

German centre-back Mertesacker, 31, is to miss the start of the Premier League season after picking up the injury in Friday's pre-season draw with Lens.
Wenger has signed Rob Holding from Bolton but will likely now pair Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel at centre-half.
"We have to look for an option," Wenger admitted ahead of Arsenal's two-match tour of the United States.
"With Per being out, we are a bit short on the experience front and we are looking to bring somebody in."
Mertesacker, who joined the club in 2011, played 24 times for Arsenal in the Premier League last season as they finished runners-up.
On Thursday, Wenger's side face an MLS All-Star team in California.
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A man who claimed he killed his neighbour in an act of self defence has been jailed for life for murder.

Thomas Sellar stabbed 23-year-old Jamie Walsh during a row in Greenock, Inverclyde, on 10 September 2015.
Sellar said he feared for his life but a jury convicted him of murder after hearing that the victim was unarmed.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, 38-year-old Sellar was ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison before he can apply for parole.
Jailing him, judge Lord Ericht said: "It is because of your actions that Jamie Walsh is dead and it is because of your actions that the family of Jamie Walsh have lost a much loved son and brother."
During Sellar's trial, the court heard that he and Mr Walsh both lived at an address in Wren Road, Greenock.
Mr Walsh had recently moved into a flat below Sellar, which was being rented by the victim's friend.
In the days leading up to the murder, Sellar had objected to "noise" which was coming from the downstairs flat.
On the night of the incident, Sellar said he had gone to the downstairs flat to try to convince the residents to keep the noise down.
He claimed that a group of youths objected to this and had "battered" him and chased him back to his flat.
Sellar claimed he felt he had no other option but to grab a knife in a bid to protect himself.
He said that in the ensuing fight, the knife came into contact with Mr Walsh, who died shortly afterwards.
He said: "They chased me down. I couldn't breathe. I never intended to kill him. I never intended for anything like this to happen."
Christopher Walsh told jurors that his brother did nothing wrong and that Sellar had attacked him.
He told the court that following the incident, Sellar claimed that Mr Walsh had stabbed him first and showed off a wound which he claimed he had suffered during the fight.
He said his brother did not have a knife and when asked why Sellar claimed to have been stabbed by his brother, answered: "He was trying to get a defence."
Sellar denied stabbing himself and maintained he was acting in self defence.
However, a jury refused to believe his claims and returned a guilty verdict to a murder charge.
Following the verdict, it emerged that Sellar, had six previous convictions for offences involving knives.
He also wrote a two-act play - Dead Boys tales - when he was 19-years-old.
The work, which was performed in Greenock in 1997 by a cast of young people struggling with addiction - depicted the problems teenagers had in staying away from drugs and crime.


Warwickshire have formally appointed former county junior player Darren Franklin as their new head of women's cricket at Edgbaston.

Franklin, 28, who opens the batting for Birmingham League side Harborne, played to Under-19 level for Warwickshire and in the same county Under-17 team as England all-rounder Chris Woakes.
He has already worked with the women's team at Warwickshire for three years.
His new role also involves coaching and development of girls to Under-17 level.
"Darren has overseen the great progress made by the women's team in recent seasons, including our runners-up place in last season's NatWest Women's T20," said Warwickshire chief executive Neil Snowball.
"We're committed to developing the women's game and creating the best environment for our senior team to challenge for silverware."
He added: "Our intent for the new season has been underlined by the additions of Jenny Gunn and Anna Lanning to a strong squad, which already boasts England internationals Becky Grundy and Amy Jones, led by Marie Kelly.
"We also have many talented young cricketers coming through the development programme."
Warwickshire's women start their domestic season this Sunday, 1 May against Sussex at Portland Road.
They begin their NatWest Women's T20 campaign at home to Nottinghamshire on Sunday, 19 June as part of a day when the men's side will host Lancashire.


In 1986 Jill Saward, who has died aged 51, was raped after a gang of burglars broke into the Ealing vicarage where she lived.

Her father, Michael - the vicar of St Mary's, Ealing - and her boyfriend were beaten with cricket bats by the men, who demanded money and jewellery.
It was a sexual attack that shocked the nation, became headline news and was subsequently labelled the "Ealing vicarage rape".
The media coverage of the case and the sentencing of the men who attacked Ms Saward - who later became Jill Drake - led to a public outcry about how rape victims were treated.
Ringleader Robert Horscroft, then 34, who did not take part in the rape, was sentenced to 14 years in jail for his part in the burglary.
Martin McCall, then 22, was given five years for rape and a further five for burglary, while Christopher Byrne, who was also 22, was given three years for his part in the sexual assault and five for the burglary.
During sentencing, Old Bailey Judge Robert Leonard said the trauma suffered by Ms Saward was "not so very great".
Ms Saward's case affected the way rape victims were treated and is still being felt 30 years later.
The public backlash against the media coverage and subsequent sentencing helped bring about changes to the way sexual assault cases were viewed.
In particular, there was uproar at how one of the defendants had been given a longer sentence for the burglary than the attack.
Several MPs, including Neil Kinnock, criticised the prison terms handed down - saying they were too lenient.
The then-Labour leader said during a Commons debate in 1987: "While it is necessary for judges to remain detached in the name of the law, sometimes they show an insensitivity to the suffering of victims which is difficult to comprehend."
And Margaret Thatcher, who was prime minister at the time, expressed her "deep concern" over the crime of rape following concerns about the case.
Ms Saward's case also sparked fierce criticisms about press coverage of rape cases after Ms Saward's ordeal became front page news.
While newspapers did not name Ms Saward as the victim, several of them published details which led her to be easily identifiable.
The Sun newspaper printed the location of the attack and a photograph of Ms Saward with her eyes blacked out in the days following the rape.
When investigated, the publication relied on the defence that media identification of a victim was only banned after a defendant was charged, which was the case at the time.
Speaking in 1987 Ms Saward, who was an identical twin, demanded a change in the law to prevent this from happening.
According to the Guardian, she said: "Unless this is done, others may find themselves identifiable by a process of deduction from third parties known to be involved as victims of a crime as I was.
"This was very distressing both to myself and my family, and the manner in which some newspapers conveyed this information was highly insensitive and offensive."
The law was changed a year later to allow for the right to appeal against lenient sentences and to close a loophole which allowed media identification of a rape victim before a defendant was charged.
The Press Council also published guidelines on how rape cases were reported to prevent victims' anonymity being breached through jigsaw identification.
The notorious case put the laws on rape under the spotlight and led to calls by women's groups and politicians to call for changes to the way the crimes were viewed.
These included making rape within marriage a criminal offence, making oral and anal intercourse classified as rape and tougher sentencing for rapists - all of which have been achieved.
In 1990, Ms Saward broke new ground when she became the first rape victim in the UK to waive her right to anonymity.
She co-wrote a book, Rape: My Story, which explored her ordeal and she went on to become a fierce campaigner for the rights of sexual assault victims.
Her decision to speak publicly was driven by a desire to change attitudes towards victims and strengthen the support they receive.
Ms Saward launched a help group for those who had experienced sex crimes and regularly appeared in the media to highlight issues faced by victims.
Her commitment to the cause also saw her become a sexual assault case worker and she subsequently provided training to police forces across the country.
Over the years, further changes have been made to the way sexual assault cases are handled - taking into account the way victims were treated.
These include a ban on allowing an alleged rapist to cross-examine victims while representing themselves in court and restrictions on what evidence can be heard about a victim's sexual behaviour.
New guidelines were published on the sentencing of sex offenders in England and Wales in 2013 which gave a greater emphasis on the impact on the victim - something Ms Saward had long campaigned for.
Speaking to the BBC, she said: "So long we've felt left out of the system or surplus to requirement, so to actually see victims' needs and what's happened to victims being put at the forefront of this is really, really good."
Ms Saward never gave up on her fight for victims' rights, and in 2015 she spoke out against calls to give those accused of sex crimes anonymity.
In 1998, she came face-to-face with a member of the gang who devastated her life, but did not rape her, and told him: "You don't need to say sorry."
But she also spoke about forgiveness and said in a BBC interview: "I believe forgiveness gives you freedom. Freedom to move on without being held back by the past."


The Scottish government has denied reports it could cut its contribution to the monarchy by between £1m and £1.5m when further powers are devolved.

The monarch is paid 15% of the Crown Estate's profits by the UK government - including profits from Scotland.
A royal source claimed there could be a cut if Crown Estate profits are retained by the Scottish Parliament.
But both governments said they did not expect devolution to have any negative impact on Scotland's contribution.
And Buckingham Palace also said that to imply Scotland would not pay for the monarchy was "simply wrong".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the story, which was reported by several newspapers, had "no basis in fact" and stressed that Scotland would pay its full contribution to the sovereign grant "by hook or by crook".
In an interview with the BBC, Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government had "no intention" and "no desire" to cut Scottish contributions and said there had not been any discussions about that.
The first minister added: "I can't be any more categoric about this. There has never been and never will be any suggestion that the Scottish government doesn't continue to meet that contribution in full."
Ms Sturgeon said she expected the Scottish government to lose a proportion of the block grant it receives from the Treasury when the Scottish assets of the Crown Estate are devolved.
The Sovereign Grant sets the level of funding the Queen receives from the Treasury by reference to 15% of the Crown Estate's profits.
A Scottish government source said this arrangement could continue after devolution of the Crown Estate, with Scottish profits and those from the rest of the UK added together to calculate a 15% figure "if that remains desirable".
The assets of the Crown Estate in Scotland are to be devolved.
This was agreed by the Smith Commission on further devolution following the independence referendum.
The Scotland Bill which is making its way through Westminster will make this happen.
It is not a free gift from the UK to Scotland. The Scottish government will gain access to new revenues from the Crown Estate and as a consequence, it will lose a portion of the block grant it receives from the Treasury.
That's why both the Scottish and UK governments insist the Sovereign Grant "will not be adversely affected".
There are other reasons too - the Sovereign Grant is paid from general taxation rather than directly from the Crown Estate and t he grant cannot be reduced under the terms of the Sovereign Grant Act 2011.
The only potential complication is the way in which the Sovereign Grant is calculated.
It is currently equivalent to 15% of the surplus generated by the Crown Estate.
Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, says there's "no reason" why that formula cannot be maintained.
In other words, after devolution the grant could be based on 15% of the combined surplus of the Crown Estate in Scotland and the rest of the UK.
What the palace seems to be worried about is that their percentage might only be derived from the surplus in the rest of the UK.
In those circumstances, the percentage applied would need to rise to make sure the Queen does not lose cash.
This appears to be an accounting issue for the Royal Trustees to resolve when they review the Sovereign Grant arrangements next year.
The Scottish government has absolutely no role in this process as the trustees are the prime minister, the chancellor and the Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir Alan Reid - who manages royal finances.
There are ongoing discussions between the Scottish and UK governments about the financial implications of Crown Estate devolution and whether or not there will be some kind of "clawback" of funds by the Treasury.
This is what happened when some tax powers were previously devolved.
A Treasury spokeswoman confirmed details on Scottish devolution were currently under discussion but, "consistent with the Smith Commission's no detriment principle, Scottish taxpayers will continue to make the same financial contribution to the Monarch".
The spokeswoman said the Scottish government's block grant would be adjusted to reflect any revenues foregone by the UK government as a result of devolution of the Crown Estate.
She added: "Scottish taxpayers will continue to fund a full and fair share of the Sovereign Grant, paid via the Consolidated Fund.
"The grant will not be adversely affected by devolution - under the Sovereign Grant Act it cannot be reduced and the statutory review of the grant will ensure that it continues to provide the resources needed to support the Queen's official duties."
Sir Alan Reid, Keeper of the Privy Purse at Buckingham Palace, said: "Yesterday's media briefing on the sovereign grant report 2014-15 was intended to highlight some of the issues that may arise when the first review of the sovereign grant begins in April next year.
"The comments and observations were about a principle and never intended to be a criticism of Scotland or of the first minister or to suggest that the first minister had cast doubt on the continued funding of the monarchy."
Sir Alan added: "The principle is about what happens if profits from certain crown estate assets, such as those in Scotland, are not paid to the Treasury and the impact that may have on the calculation of the Sovereign Grant in future years. This question will form part of next year's review.
"As we made clear at the briefing, Scotland contributes in many ways to the Treasury's consolidated fund - out of which the sovereign grant is paid.
"We said explicitly that to imply Scotland would not pay for the monarchy was simply wrong and we accept unreservedly the assurances of the Scottish government that the sovereign grant will not be cut as a result of devolution of the crown estate."


Shares in department store chain Debenhams slid 2.3% after it reported falling sales amid "volatile trading".

Like-for-like sales dropped 0.9% in the 15 weeks to 17 June, and it added that May was "a tough month for retailers".
It said 2017 profits should be in the expected range, but added that if market volatility continued, profits could be at the lower end of forecasts.
Its comments weighed on rival retail shares, with Marks and Spencer down 2%.
Staying in the retail sector, Carpetright reported a sharp fall in profits but was upbeat about recent trading
Full-year pre-tax profits at the floor coverings specialist sank to Â£0.9m from Â£12.8m last year, with much of the fall due to the firm putting aside more money to cover onerous lease costs on loss-making stores.
But shares in the company ended the day over 10% higher after it said recent trading had been "encouraging" with UK like-for-like sales up 2%.
By the end of trading, the benchmark FTSE 100 share index was barely changed, down just 12 points at 7,434.36.
On the currency markets, the pound was up 0.5% against the dollar at $1.27870 but was down 0.8% against the euro at 1.12910 euros.
The euro jumped on Tuesday morning after a speech by European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi was interpreted as suggesting that the bank's stimulus package - which includes a huge bond-buying programme and negative interest rates - could be tweaked.
Mr Draghi noted that the risk of deflation had been averted, although he added that "considerable" monetary support was still required.


Brazil's Supreme Court has announced that Judge Edson Fachin will be in charge of cases resulting from Operation Car Wash, an investigation into a massive corruption ring involving some of Brazil's top business executives and politicians.

Dozens of politicians have already been arrested as part of the inquiry.
Mr Fachin was chosen at random from a shortlist of five Supreme Court judges.
He replaces Teori Zavascki, 69, who died in a plane crash on 19 January.
Mr Zavascki's plane fell into the sea in heavy rain near Paraty, some 250km (160 miles) south of Rio de Janeiro.
He was a well-respected judge and the Car Wash investigation gained much credibility when he was appointed to oversee it in the Supreme Court, says the BBC's Daniel Gallas.
Most recently, Mr Zavascki had been investigating executives from Odebrecht, Latin America's largest construction firm.
Odebrecht has admitted paying $1bn (£800m) in bribes to obtain contracts in 12 different countries.
One of Mr Fachin's first tasks will be to analyse the plea bargain deals struck with 77 Odebrecht executives.
Local media say their testimonies could contain the names of high-ranking politicians allegedly involved in the bribery scheme.
Mr Fachin, a law professor from Parana state, was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached in August.
Local media accused him at first of being very close to Ms Rousseff and her Workers' Party, citing as evidence a video, which showed him campaigning for her during the election.
But reaction to his nomination on Thursday was largely positive with commentators saying that he had "shown independence".