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Piers Morgan accused the Home Office minister Victoria Atkins of "laughing" over PPE failures today.

In the excruciating interview on Good Morning Britain today, Piers grilled the Minister for Safeguarding on the Panorama investigation on the lack of PPE available to NHS staff on the coronavirus frontline.

The BBC investigation found that there were no gowns, visors, body bags or swabs in the government's covid-19 pandemic stockpile.

However, the government said that it had taken the right steps and was doing everything it could to increase stocks.

The MP appeared on GMB today to speak about the surge in domestic abuse as a result of lockdown.

However Piers interjected to probe her on the lack of protective kit available to those on the frontline.

(Image: ITV) (Image: ITV)

Initially, Atkins said that the Health Secretary would deal with the allegations made by Panorama.

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But Piers continued: "On the 19th March, the UK downgraded covid-19 from HCID, which is the high consequence of infectious disease category which requires a very high level of PPE, legally, for health workers it was downgraded.

"I just want to know why?"

(Image: ITV)

She replied: "We have been following scientific advice on this absolutely throughout. We have been absolutely clear-"

"You've just said that," Piers interjected. "Do you know why it was downgraded or not?"

"I'm not a scientist, Piers," she replied.

Piers interrupted: "No, you're just a Government minister in charge of safeguarding."

As Atkins appeared to laugh, Piers responded: "Well you can laugh - I don't know why you all keep laughing when I talk about this. It's not funny!"

(Image: ITV)

Atkins tried to point out that she was there to talk about the domestic abuse bill, but Piers continued to ask her: "Have you ever heard of Exercise Cygnus?"

After being continuously probed, she admitted that she hadn't.

Piers said that he was "staggered" that she hadn't heard of it.

He went on to grill her: "Why didn't you act on those concerns? Why are you laughing?"

"We're looking at the scientific evidence," she tried to respond.

"The government keeps sending out ministers like you who don't have a clue," Piers said. "Do you see how this looks to the viewers?"

After the interview, Piers said: "Sorry, i just found that shocking. people will say, why... anyone listening to that minister, making it up as she goes along."

"She just repeated what I said," Piers said. "It's ridiculous and offensive."

*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV