Institutional repositories: is the open access door half open or half shut?

The response of the UK Government to the Report on science publishing by the Science and Technology Select Committee of the House of Commons is criticized for failing to take the necessary action to research or help catalyse a change in the publishing model. The initiatives of the National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Foundation in setting up central archives are examined and their utility questioned. The evidence base for a change to open access is explored.