§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 April,Official Report, column 298, if he will state the reasons why Lewes prison was put on maximum security alert on (a) 22 November 1990 and (b) 2 to 6 December 1990; and what were the results obtained.
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§ Mrs. RumboldOn 22 November 1990, a full alert was called at Lewes prison in response to information about a planned mass escape involving a firearm. Nothing was found during searches.
Following the discovery of a replica firearm on 2 December, a further full alert was initiated from 2 to 6 December 1990. In the course of extensive searches of all parts of the prison, a number of rounds of blank ammunition were found.