MP Julia Drown has demanded action to stop homebuyers being ripped off by hidden charges when they take out a mortgage.

The South Swindon MP met treasury minister Ruth Kelly to urge the Government to do more to promote the little-known Charges, Access, Terms standard.

Homebuyers who choose a mortgage that complies with the standard can be confident that there are no extra charges hidden in the small print.

But the Financial Services Authority, which publishes comparisons of mortgages on its website, does not include information on which lenders match up to the standard.

The meeting with Ms Kelly, who is the financial secretary, followed the launch of a campaign by Swindon-based Nationwide for better mortgage information.

Ms Drown, a Labour MP, said: "I think it can be very hard for people to understand the different mortgages and other financial services products on offer.

"Nationwide is very good in ensuring its customers know they won't face any extra fees, but more needs to be done to ensure people are not ripped off.

Last year, Ms Drown tabled a parliamentary motion, signed by 53 other MPs, congratulating Nationwide on its campaign and urging the FSA to act.

She identified another weakness in the FSA tables because of their failure to allow homebuyers to compare costs over five or seven years, or to compare the total cost.

Frank Creighton, a spokes-man for Nationwide, said all the building society's products had achieved the CAT standard as long ago as May 2001.