Mr Fokele H P Trip, the recently appointed Minister without Portfolio for Science Policy, has presented to the Government and submitted to Parliament the Science Budget 1974. His major concerns are: to bring about an extension of programming and planning science policy to areas of social relevance; and to draw more on the scientific community and on research to help clarify national goals, and to bring science into the heart of political organisation and the decision-making process. The Science Policy Council's Information Centre presents below a survey of the background, scope and strategies of Minister Trip's first Science Budget 1974. It is an example of the way in which the Netherlands is seeking to determine a diversified, wide-ranging and balanced programme of national science policy.